Montana gunman who mᴀssacred 8 family members at Sunday dinner ID’d as clues about possible motive revealed
The gunman who mᴀssacred eight family members – including four children — during their weekly dinner at a Montana home he then torched has been identified as the 44-year-old son of the homeowners, who ordered him to move out weeks earlier, according to relatives.
The mᴀss shooter was identified as Alan Smith by Brad Ireland, whose ex-wife and two children were among those killed in the shocking rampage.
Smith had lived with his parents at their Billings, Montana home for several years before they asked him to move out a couple weeks ago, according to Ireland.
On Sunday, he showed up unannounced while his relatives gathered for their weekly dinner and opened fire around 6 p.m., killing both his parents, his 92-year-old wheelchair-bound grandmother, his sister and his nieces and nephews before setting the home on fire, officials and Ireland said.
As emergency services rushed to the scene, Smith turned the gun on himself before police could take him into custody.
Ireland’s ex-wife, Megan Ghekiere, and his two children, Chloe Ireland, 7, and Owen Ireland, 13, were killed, as were Megan’s stepchildren, Charlotte Ghekiere, 12, and Landon Ghekiere, 15, according to both the fathers.
Megan’s current husband Adam Ghekiere, who is dad to Charlotte and Landon, said the killer likely didn’t think his kids would be there when he showed up Sunday because the family usually gathered for dinner on Fridays.
“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.”
The heartbroken dad was working as a rescue firefighter at an airshow when he heard about the shooting while listening to a communication system, he said.
“By the time we got to the house, they wouldn’t let us get any closer because it was still under an active shooter status,” Ghekiere told the US Sun.
“I feared the worst right then,” he said.
Police confirmed that his daughter Charlotte was the one who called 911 from inside the home.
“I keep hearing her quote to me every time I would say ‘I love you’ and she would say ‘I love you more,’” he said.
Family friend and neighbor Jennifer Mercer called the young girl a hero.
“The one thing we do know is that Charlotte was the hero,” Mercer said. “Charlotte called 911 and she tried to save her family. And that’s something the family does want out there.”
With Post wires
