Montana man kills 8 relatives, including 4 children, at Sunday dinner

Eight members of a blended family, spanning four generations, were killed Sunday evening when 44-year-old Alan Smith opened fire during a regular family dinner at a home in Billings, Montana, according to relative Brad Ireland. Smith had lived with his parents for years but was asked to move out several weeks earlier; he returned unannounced that evening and began shooting before setting the house on fire.

Police responding to the scene heard gunshots from behind the home just before it became fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters battled the blaze into the early morning, hampered by the subdivision's location outside municipal limits, where fire hydrants were not required. Investigators confirmed Tuesday that all eight victims died, including four children, and that Smith died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after attempting to flee.

Those killed included Smith's parents, his grandmother, his younger sister, and four children from a blended family that had relocated from the Seattle area to Montana. A 12-year-old girl among the victims, Charlotte Ghekiere, called 911 in an attempt to save her family before she was killed. Neighbors and family described the group as close-knit, saying the tragedy has devastated the wider community.

Ireland said Smith had no criminal record in Montana or Washington and was described as a reclusive figure who had struggled to hold a job after attending university, though he was not previously known to be violent.