Suspect identified in Montana mass shooting and house fire that killed 8 family members
Law enforcement in Montana have identified the suspect and victims in a mass shooting and house fire that claimed eight lives in a Billings neighborhood, painting a grim picture of a family gathering that turned into deadly violence.
Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O'Donnell identified the gunman as Alan Smith, 44, the adult son of the homeowners, Dana Smith, 73, and Barbara Smith, 72. Both were among the dead. Also killed were Dana's daughter, Megan Ireland-Ghekiere, 39; her children, Landon Ghekiere, 15, and Charlotte Ghekiere, 12; Owen Ireland, 13; Chloe Ireland, 7; and the family matriarch, Evelyn Smith, 92, O'Donnell said at a news conference.
Authorities say Alan Smith arrived at his parents' home at 5:49 p.m. on Aug. 23. Around 6 p.m., neighbors heard sounds like fireworks coming from the residence. Two minutes later, a 911 caller reported injured people inside, with gunshots audible in the background. Deputies arrived at 6:10 p.m., encountered Smith in the front yard, then watched him retreat into the house, where more gunfire erupted, O'Donnell said. Smith then fled to a fenced backyard, out of officers' view.
At 6:13 p.m., a deputy heard a final gunshot. Emergency responders reached the backyard at 6:22 p.m. and found a man with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, later identified as Alan Smith.
Meanwhile, firefighters faced an immense challenge as multiple fires had been set inside the home before the shooting. By 6:44 p.m., the entire front of the house was engulfed in flames. The lack of fire hydrants in the neighborhood made extinguishing the blaze even harder, O'Donnell said.
The sheriff said investigators are still working through an 'extensive' crime scene, going 'shovel by shovel' through the 4,000-square-foot home at the end of a cul-de-sac. Among the items recovered untouched were a family photo album and a Bible belonging to Barbara Smith, who was at the home for a family dinner. Police also recovered multiple weapons.
O'Donnell declined to discuss a motive, saying deputies have 'an idea of what possibly transpired,' but that some details 'are for the family to tell.' He said Alan Smith had previously lived at the home but did not currently, and that the sheriff's office had never been called to the residence before.
The killings have rocked Billings, a city of about 121,000 people, where a makeshift memorial of teddy bears, photos, and handwritten notes now marks the site. 'I don't think tragic is a strong enough word for this,' O'Donnell said. 'A family has been devastated and may never recover.'
The case stands as one of the deadliest mass killings in Montana in recent memory, and the investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to piece together what led a 44-year-old man to allegedly destroy his own family.