Montana Man Kills 8 Family Members During Sunday Dinner, Police Say
Investigators said the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the killings, which included four children and spanned four generations.
- On Sunday, Alan Smith killed eight relatives at a family dinner in Billings, Montana, before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the backyard.
- Smith had been asked to move out weeks ago by his parents, according to Brad Ireland, whose former wife and two children were among the dead. Ireland described the suspect as a "hermit" who spent most of his days on his computer.
- The victims represented four generations of the blended family, ranging from a great-grandmother to a 7-year-old girl. Neighbor Jennifer Mercer said Charlotte Ghekiere, 12, heroically called 911 from inside the home, attempting to save her family.
- Firefighters fought the blaze until around 1 a.m. Monday, according to Billings Fire Department Chief Matt Hoppel. Adam Ghekiere learned his wife Megan and their children were killed after racing to the scene upon hearing about the shooting.
- This incident marks the 22nd mass killing in the U.S. this year, according to a database managed by Northeastern University. Criminologist James Alan Fox noted that 15 of these stemmed from domestic disputes, exceeding the typical average of about 50%.
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Investigators sift for evidence at burned Montana home where 8 family
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Shovelful by shovelful, investigators sifted through the charred remnants of a Montana home where four generations of a family were killed as they gathered for Sunday dinner, searching for evidence that might help explain what happened and why. Alan Smith, 44, killed his grandmother, his parents, his younger sister and her children before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound just after police arrived, authorities said. …
The crime occurred in a house in Billings, Montana; among the victims are four minors.
Massacre! Man murders 8 family members, sets home ablaze in...
A man killed eight of his relatives, including four children, as they gathered for Sunday dinner at a home outside Billings, Montana, weeks after his parents asked him to move out, a family member told The Associated Press. Brad Ireland, whose former wife and two children were among the dead, identified the shooter as 44-year-old Alan Smith. Smith’s parents, who were also killed, had asked him to move out, but he returned on Sunday and opened fi…
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