Montana man kills 8 relatives at Sunday dinner, family says
A Montana man killed eight relatives, including four children, during Sunday dinner at a Billings-area home before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, family members and police said. Investigators confirmed the toll Tuesday as the burned house complicated the probe. The weekly gathering turned into one of the deadliest U.S. family shootings of 2026, according to reporting by the Associated Press and local officials.
Relatives identified the shooter as 44-year-old Alan Smith. They said he returned to his parents’ home after being asked to move out weeks earlier, opened fire during dinner, and set the house ablaze. Police later found him with a self-inflicted gunshot wound; he died after being taken to a hospital.
Key Takeaways
- Eight relatives—including four children—were killed at a Sunday dinner gathering near Billings, Montana, family spokespersons said.
- Police said a male suspect suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound and later died; the house burned to its foundation.
- A 12-year-old girl called 911 from inside the home, relatives and police confirmed.
- Yellowstone County deputies are leading a complex investigation slowed by fire damage and structural risks.
- The AP/USA Today mass-killing database counted this as the 22nd U.S. mass killing of 2026.
What happened during the Billings Sunday dinner?
According to Brad Ireland, whose former wife and two children were among the dead, Smith’s parents had asked him to move out. He unexpectedly came back Sunday evening to the home where the blended family held a weekly dinner, Ireland told the AP.
Ireland said Smith killed his grandmother, his parents, his younger sister, and four children before setting the house on fire. He tried to flee before being confronted by law enforcement, Ireland said.
Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor and family friend authorized to speak, said the victims spanned four generations—from a great-grandmother in her 90s who used a wheelchair to a 7-year-old girl. Mercer organized an online fundraiser for funeral costs and related expenses as the community absorbed the loss.
Families dealing with sudden bills sometimes seek practical money guidance; readers can find related resources in our Wealth Hacks & Passive Income category hub. Friends also set up GoFundMe accounts to support surviving relatives, the AP reported.
Who died in the Montana dinner shooting?
Investigators confirmed Tuesday there were eight victims, including four children, the AP reported. Ireland named the shooter as Alan Smith. Among those killed were Ireland’s ex-wife, Megan Ghekiere, and their children Owen Ireland, 13, and Chloe Ireland, 7.
Also killed were Megan’s stepchildren with her husband Adam Ghekiere: Landon Ghekiere, 15, and Charlotte Ghekiere, 12. Relatives said Dana and Barb Smith—Alan’s parents—and Evelyn Smith, Dana’s elderly mother, were among the dead.
Mercer called Charlotte “the hero,” saying she dialed 911 and tried to save her family. Adam Ghekiere said police confirmed Charlotte made the call from inside the house.
Adam, who works at the Billings airport, was not home. He heard radio traffic about an active shooting, could not reach family members by phone, and raced to the scene to find the house on fire. About two hours later, he learned his wife and children were dead. He said the children were not usually expected that night because dinner was typically on Friday.
How did police and firefighters respond to the dinner attack?
Yellowstone County officials said 911 reported an active shooting at 315 White Star Circle about 6:01 p.m. Sunday. Gunfire was heard on the calls, Sheriff’s officials said. The first officer arrived by 6:12 p.m., according to a Monday press briefing covered by the Billings Gazette.
As officers approached, they saw a man in the burning house and heard more gunfire. Police located him with a self-inflicted gunshot wound; he was taken to a hospital around 6:48 p.m. and later died, officials said. Neighbor David Hiller told CNN/AP he first thought fireworks just after 6 p.m., then saw tactical officers sheltering behind vehicles as black smoke rose.
Shortly after the initial response, the home was fully engulfed. Billings Fire Chief Matt Hoppel said there were no hydrants in the subdivision, and crews could not fight the blaze normally until the scene was secured. Firefighting continued until about 1 a.m. Monday. The origin of the fire was not disclosed.
Billings Police spokesperson Jeff Stovall said the probe is complicated by concerns about the house’s structural integrity after it burned to its foundation. The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation. Nearby residents were allowed to return home once officials said there was no ongoing public threat.
Why does this dinner tragedy matter beyond Montana?
The AP reported the shootings as the 22nd mass killing in the United States this year, based on a database maintained with USA Today and Northeastern University. Fifteen of those cases stemmed from domestic disputes—a higher share than the long-term average of about half, criminologist James Alan Fox said.
It was described as the deadliest U.S. mass killing since April, when a Louisiana father fatally shot eight children. Ireland said Smith had been a “hermit” who spent long hours in his room on a computer, had attended Eastern Washington University, and struggled to find or keep work. A records search found no arrests in Montana or Washington, Ireland said Smith had not been violent before though he could be verbally abusive, and “many red flags” went unheeded.
The Smith family had relocated from the Seattle area. After Ireland and Megan divorced about six years ago, she moved to Montana with their children and later married Adam. Her parents followed, buying the Billings-area house in 2020, property records cited by the Gazette show. Full national details are in the Associated Press report.
Anyone in a mental health crisis can contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Montana officials also point residents to state 988 resources staffed around the clock.