In Billings, Montana, a man opened fire on relatives during a Sunday family dinner. Eight people were killed, including four children. After the shooting, the house caught fire. UNN reports this, citing the Associated Press.
Details
According to police, officers arrived at the house on the evening of August 23 and heard gunshots coming from the back of the building. The house was subsequently completely engulfed in flames. The suspect also died from a gunshot wound that, according to preliminary information, he inflicted on himself.
According to family member Brad Ireland, the shooter was 44-year-old Alan Smith. He had lived with his parents for years, but several weeks ago they asked him to move out. On Sunday, Smith returned to the house, where the family had gathered for dinner.
Four generations of the family were killed
The victims included Ireland's former wife, Megan Hekier, their 13-year-old son Owen, and 7-year-old daughter Chloe. Also killed were 15-year-old Landon and 12-year-old Charlotte—the children of Hekier's current husband.
According to neighbor Jennifer Mercer, the victims represented four generations of one family—from a woman in her 90s to a seven-year-old girl. Charlotte managed to call 911 and tried to save the others.
After the shooting, Smith set the house on fire and tried to flee, but later encountered law enforcement officers. Investigators told the family that the man had shot himself.
Relatives said that Smith spent much of his time alone in his room at the computer, did not have a stable job, and could behave aggressively in verbal exchanges. At the same time, law enforcement found no records of his previous arrests or criminal charges.
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