In a heart-wrenching incident that rocked a serene Montana community, a man fatally shot eight relatives, including four children, during what should have been a peaceful Sunday dinner. According to a family member, the shooter’s parents had requested that he vacate the family’s property several weeks prior to the tragedy.
Brad Ireland informed The Associated Press that the perpetrator, Alan Smith, aged 44, was responsible for the brutal act that claimed the lives of Ireland’s former wife and their two children. The Billings Police Department has labeled the massacre as an “unimaginable tragedy.” Smith reportedly ended his life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, leaving investigators to piece together the motives behind this dark event.
The Associated Press identified the victims as Brad Ireland’s ex-wife, Megan Ghekiere, along with their children, 13-year-old Owen and 7-year-old Chloe. Tragically, Megan’s stepchildren—Landon Ghekiere, 15, and Charlotte Ghekiere, 12—also perished, along with Smith’s parents, Dana and Barb, and his grandmother, Evelyn.
“What we know for sure is that Charlotte was a hero,” shared Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor and close family friend who has initiated an online fundraiser to help cover the funerals and related expenses. Mercer emphasized the importance of recognizing Charlotte’s brave actions. “Charlotte called 911 and attempted to save her family. It’s crucial that people know her courageous efforts.”
Pictured on the left are Landon and Charlotte Ghekiere from Billings, Montana, in a photo shared by their mother, Erica Schneider. On the right, a photograph from Brad Ireland shows his 13-year-old son, Owen, who was among the eight family members tragically shot at a home in Billings, Mont., on Sunday, August 23, 2026. (Photo credits: Erica Schneider via AP; Brad Ireland via AP)
The Billings Police Department said it responded to a 911 call of an active shooting at 6:01 p.m. Sunday and heard shots fired from the back of the house. Minutes later, the property was fully engulfed in flames.
Firefighters ultimately fought the blaze until around 1 a.m. Monday, according to Billings Fire Department Chief Matt Hoppel. The home is in a subdivision outside of city limits that’s not required to have fire hydrants.
“Due to the condition and structural integrity of the residence, recovery and investigative efforts must be conducted carefully and methodically,” the Billings Police Department said Tuesday, adding that, “we extend our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones affected by this unimaginable tragedy.”
Mercer described the family as “very loving and close,” and said the children all got along and that their parents remained amicable even after divorcing.
The Smith family was originally from the Seattle area. Ireland said that after he and Megan Ghekiere divorced six years ago, she moved to Montana with their children and met the man who would become her second husband, Adam Ghekiere, who was working and not at the home when the shooting occurred.
She and Alan’s parents, Dana and Barb Smith, soon followed, buying a house in Billings near their daughter’s home. Evelyn Smith, their grandmother, lived in a nearby retirement community, Ireland said.
Alan Smith, who also moved in with his parents in Montana, was described by Ireland as a “hermit” who spent most of his days in his room on his computer.
READ MORE: Nepal Flash Floods: Search Intensifies for Hundreds of Missing Tourists, Including 12 Brits
“No one knew what he did in there 24/7,” he said.
Investigators work at the scene on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, where a family was killed and a house was burned near Billings, Montana. (Matthew Brown/AP)
Smith’s parents had asked Alan to move out weeks ago after he stayed with them for years, Ireland told the AP.
Alan Smith had attended Eastern Washington University but had been unable to find or hold a job, the AP reported. Ireland told the news agency that to his knowledge, Alan Smith had never been violent, though he could be verbally abusive.
Adam Ghekiere, who works at the airport in Billings, told the AP that he heard over a dispatch radio about an active shooting. After calling each member of his family, he raced across town to the Smith home.
When he got there, the house was ablaze, and two hours later, he learned his wife and children had been killed. His children weren’t supposed to be there because family dinner was usually on Friday, he said.
“I don’t think he expected my kids to be there,” Ghekiere said, referring to his brother-in-law. “Monster isn’t even enough to describe what he did.”
A GoFundMe page said Adam Ghekiere’s 15-year-old son Landon, who was set to enter his sophomore year of high school, was “looking forward to getting his driver’s license this week and was a patient, protective, and loving big brother.”
On the left, an undated photo provided by Erica Schneider shows, Owen Ireland, front, Landon Ghekiere, center, Charlotte Ghekiere, back left, and Chloe Ireland, back right in helmet. On the right, a photo provided by Brad Ireland shows his daughter, 7-year-old Chloe Ireland. (Erica Schneider via AP; Brad Ireland via AP)
“Charlotte was 12 and preparing to begin seventh grade. Funny, precocious, and adorable — with just the right amount of stubborn — Charlotte had an angelic smile and loved posing for pictures,” it added.