The father who lost four of his children in the Sunday dinner mᴀssacre has shared a deeply beautiful and sacred memory between him and his beloved daughter
THE grieving dad who lost four children during a sickening Sunday dinner mᴀssacre has revealed the heartbreaking recollection which is keeping his hero daughter’s memory alive.
Devastated Adam Ghekiere spoke to The U.S. Sun while coming to terms with the brutal slaying of eight members of the same family in Billings, Montana last weekend.
Landon and Charlotte Ghekiere both died in the mᴀssacre in Billings, Montana last SundayCredit: AP
Crazed gunman Alan Smith, who later died of a self-inflicted gunsH๏τ wound, killed eight people before torching the houseCredit: KTVQ
The airport firefighter revealed his wife’s brother, Alan Smith, was the crazed gunman who killed daughter Charlotte, her brother Landon, plus his two step-children, his in-laws and a great grandmother.
Ghekiere’s wife Megan, Smith’s sister, was also murdered before the reclusive madman torched the house in a desperate attempt to conceal his horror acts.
He later died of a self-inflicted gunsH๏τ wound.
The U.S. Sun revealed it was 12-year-old Charlotte who heroically called 911 while Smith went on his warped rampage.
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“Charlotte was the hero that dialed 911,” family friend Jennifer Mercer said. “She tried to save her family.”
Her dad honored her memory during an emotional interview with local media, recalling how she was growing up before his very eyes and really “coming out of her shell” before her life was senselessly cut short.
And he revealed the beautiful interaction they had together.
“I keep hearing her quote to me every time I would say ‘I love you’ and she would say ‘I love you more,’” said Ghekiere.
A candlelight vigil will be held at 8pm in Billings on Thursday, where relatives will release a variety of balloons, with each color symbolizing one of the victims of the tragedy.
Ghekiere was working on Sunday evening when he heard emergency communications about a shooting and realized the incident was happening close to his in-laws’ home.
He immediately began trying to reach his family.
“I tried calling the house and no one answered,” he said. He also checked the locations of Charlotte and Landon and attempted to contact Megan.
Ghekiere drove to the property, but authorities prevented him from getting closer because the situation was still considered dangerous.
He could see smoke rising from the house from a considerable distance.
Adam Ghekiere spoke to The U.S. Sun about his unimaginable painCredit: Facebook/Megan Ghekiere
The family have been blown away by the outpouring of support from the local communityCredit: AP
“I feared the worst right then,” he said.
The residence was later destroyed by fire. Ghekiere said he learned roughly two hours after arriving that his wife and children had died.
He told The U.S. Sun that Smith had been told to leave his parents house after becoming difficult to live with, which reportedly angered the 44-year-old.
He had reportedly been living out of town, but returned on Sunday to wreak havoc on his innocent victims.
The casualties were Megan Ghekiere; her children, Landon Ghekiere, 15, Charlotte Ghekiere, 12, Chloe Ireland, 7, and Owen Ireland, 13; her parents, Barb and Dana Smith; and her grandmother, Evelyn Smith, 92.
Ghekiere’s ex-wife Erica Schneider – the mom of Landon and Charlotte – wasn’t at the house when Smith carried out his unspeakable acts.
“I don’t think the shooter expected my kids to be there,” said the dad. “Monster isn’t even enough to describe what he did.”
Ghekiere said Smith had previously been living with his parents but had been asked to move out. The family believed he had left the area.
“He was like a hermit,” Ghekiere said.
The family usually gathered for dinner on Fridays, but changed their plans that week and met on Sunday instead.
The emergency response began shortly after 6pm, when a 911 caller reported a shooting at the property. Dispatchers also received information about a child inside the home who needed ᴀssistance.
Officers arrived approximately 10 minutes after the initial call and encountered a man outside the residence while the situation remained active.
Friends described Charlotte as funny, outgoing and affectionate. She was known for her bright smile and enjoyed having her pH๏τograph taken.
Landon was preparing to begin his sophomore year of high school and had been looking forward to getting his driver’s license. Family and friends remembered him as caring, protective and willing to help others.
The subsequent fire completely destroyed the home. Firefighters faced additional challenges because the property was outside city limits and the neighborhood did not have fire hydrants.
Crews also had to wait until authorities determined the area was secure before they could fully respond to the blaze.
The family had previously lived in the Seattle area before moving to Montana.
Megan relocated there with her children after her divorce and later married Ghekiere. Her parents eventually moved to Montana as well.
Wife Erica paid tribute to her children, saying Landon had the rest of his life in front of him.
“He knew what he wanted. And he, you know, at 15, trying to like, what do you want to do when he grew up? Like, he knew he wanted to do some kind of a trade,” she said.
“All these dreams, all these things he wanted to do and worked so hard to do. They’re just… They’re just gone.
The Ghekieres are a blended family brought together when Adam Ghekiere married Megan Ghekiere, creating a close bond among the children.
Megan’s son, Owen Ireland, 13, looked up to his older stepbrother, Landon Ghekiere, 15 .
Owen even took up the trumpet after Landon began playing it, according to Ghekiere.
“Owen was picked up playing trumpet because that’s what Landon started playing,” he recalled. “Owen loved Legos. There were so many Legos in the house.”
Owen was often by his mother’s side, Adam said, although he had begun spending more time away from home as he grew older.
“If I wasn’t there sitting next to Megan, Owen was right there on Megan’s side,” he said. “But Owen was becoming a teenager and sometimes he’d be away, and Megan was like, ‘He’s growing up so much.’”
Owen’s younger sister, Chloe Ireland, 7, was known for her distinctive personality and sense of style.
“Chloe was the apple of her mom’s eye. You know, Megan adored her,” Ghekiere said.
He remembered how Chloe would sometimes choose outfits that did not match the season.
“Sometimes she’d wear the wrong dress for the wrong occasion. She’d wear a winter dress in summertime and then a summer dress in wintertime. She loved it,” he said.
The dad of four also spoke fondly of Megan, describing his wife as deeply devoted to her faith and her children.
“We had a plan. We had a goal. A year later, we got engaged. Ten months after that, we got married,” he said.
“She loved her faith. She loved her music. She loved her children. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for them.”
Megan’s parents, Barb and Dana Smith, were central figures in the family.
“They were the kindest, most welcoming people ever,” Ghekiere said. “They loved family coming over. They had love for Owen and Chloe, but they also had love for Landon and Charlotte.”
“That house was meant for family. It needs to be remembered as a place where family met and were loved and just to be themselves.”
Megan’s grandmother, Evelyn Smith, remained active and energetic even at 92.
“Evelyn, for a 92-year-old woman, she was amazing. She had energy,” recalled Ghekiere.
She had a familiar place at the dinner table whenever the family gathered, often with something special nearby.
“She had her spot at the dinner table when she came over for family dinner, and there was always candy or something by her,” Ghekiere revealed. “She loved candy.”
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“I want their names to be remembered,” Schneider concluded. “I want their lives to matter.”
The тιԍнт-knit community of Billings has been rocked by the tragedy, with three separate GoFundMe fundraising efforts bringing in over $200,000.
SOURCE: THE SUN
https://www.the-sun.com/news/16908000/charlotte-ghekiere-911-billings-montana-mᴀssacre/
