Montana (US): In a shocking incident, a man in his 40s killed eight of his relatives, including four children, as they gathered for Sunday dinner at a home in Billings, Montana, the father of two of the kids and a family spokesperson told The Associated Press.
The victims represented four generations of the blended family, ranging from a great-grandmother in her 90s to a seven-year-old girl, according to Jennifer Mercer, a neighbour and family friend who set up an online fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and other expenses and was authorised to release these details.
Police said they responded to the home on Sunday evening and heard gunshots coming from out back, just before the house was completely engulfed in flames. Investigators confirmed Tuesday there had been eight victims, including four children, and that one person had suffered a fatal, self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Accused had recently been told to move out of home
Brad Ireland, whose former wife and two children were among the dead, identified the shooter as Alan Smith, 44. Smith had recently been told to move out of the home, Ireland said. He is the adult son of the homeowners — who ordered him to move out weeks earlier, according to relatives.
David Hiller, a neighbour who lives three doors down from the home, heard what he thought were fireworks just after 6 pm on Sunday, and didn't think much of the noise until another neighbour called to warn him about a shooting on the cul-de-sac.
Hiller then rushed outside to find police in tactical gear sheltering behind vehicles, some with long guns, while plumes of black smoke rose from the home.
The accused previously lived in the home with his parents and spent most of his days alone on a computer, according to the New York Post, quoting Brad Ireland.
"There were many red flags"
“There were many red flags and many people spoke out,” said Ireland, who lives in Arizona. “No one listened.” According to officials, he fatally shot his parents, Dana and Barbara Smith; his 92-year-old grandmother, Evelyn Smith, who used a wheelchair; his sister, Megan Ghekiere; and several nieces and nephews. He then set the house on fire, authorities and former brother-in-law Ireland said.
Smith, a former Eastern Washington University student, had struggled to keep steady employment. After his sister moved to Montana, he followed his parents from Seattle to the state. He lived with them in their Billings home for several years, spending nearly all his time alone in his room.
(With inputs from agency)
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