12-year-old girl hailed as a 'hero' amid horror of 'hermit' step-uncle's Montana massacre

A 12-year-old girl – who was among eight family members gunned down in a Montana massacre by a relative – has been hailed as a "hero" for trying to save her loved ones.

A man shot and killed eight family members, including four children, as they gathered for dinner Sunday at a home near Billings, Montana. The mass shooting occurred weeks after his parents reportedly asked him to move out of their house.

'There were many red flags, and many people spoke out. No one listened.'

Police said the suspect killed his grandmother, his parents, his younger sister, and four children.

NBC News reported that the gunman shot and killed the homeowners: 73-year-old Dana Smith and 72-year-old Barbara Smith.

Also killed in the mass shooting were their daughter, 39-year-old Megan Ireland-Ghekiere, as well as her two children and two stepchildren, 15-year-old Landon Ghekiere, 12-year-old Charlotte Ghekiere, 13-year-old Owen Ireland, and 7-year-old Chloe Ireland, according to authorities.

Evelyn Smith – who was Dana's 92-year-old mother and described as the "family matriarch" by interim Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O’Donnell — did not live at the house but was in attendance for the Sunday dinner and was among the victims killed.

Brad Ireland — the ex-husband of Megan Ireland-Ghekiere — told the Associated Press that the suspected shooter was 44-year-old Alan Smith.

Police confirmed that Smith was the older brother of Megan Ireland-Ghekiere.

Ireland said that Smith had lived in his parents' home for years.

Ireland described Alan Smith as a "hermit," and added, "No one knew what he did in there 24/7."

Ireland noted that Smith's parents asked him to move out a couple of weeks ago, but he returned to the home on Sunday and went on a shooting spree.

Police said Smith arrived at the home at approximately 5:49 p.m., just 11 minutes before neighbors reported hearing what they believed were fireworks.

At 6:02 p.m., police dispatchers received a call from a "female" inside the house, and deputies from the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office arrived at the crime scene around 6:10 p.m., NBC News reported.

When law enforcement arrived at the home, they "confronted the suspect in the front yard, where he retreated into the house," O'Donnell stated.

The Associated Press reported that officers arrived "just before the house was completely engulfed in flames."

O'Donnell said more "gunshots were heard within the household" before the suspected shooter went to the rear of the property.

At about 6:13 p.m., a deputy "heard a final shot, which was broken away from the rest of the shots," O'Donnell noted.

At around 6:22 p.m., officers "made entrance into the backyard," where they discovered a male with a gunshot wound and began lifesaving measures on him, O'Donnell added.

"At this time, it wasn’t known that he was actually the suspect of all this," O'Donnell continued. "He was just a person down, and law enforcement did what they're trained to do. They got him out of the hot zone and provided what first aid they could."

Police said the suspect was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. Investigators confirmed that the suspect had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Billings Fire Department Chief Matt Hoppel said firefighters battled the blaze until around 1 a.m. on Monday.

Authorities noted that it took so long to extinguish the fire because the house is located outside Billings city limits on county land, where fire hydrants are not mandatory.

O'Donnell said, "They had to haul in truckloads of water, set up a temporary tank and pump out of that tank. So the fire suppression portion of this was very, very difficult.”

Jeff Stovall, a spokesperson for the Billings Police Department, told the Associated Press that investigators also faced challenges due to the structural instability of the home, which had burned down to its foundation.

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Adam Ghekiere, the widower of Megan Ireland-Ghekiere, was not at the home during the attack but learned about the active shooting over a dispatch radio.

The Associated Press reported that Ghekiere called each family member before he "raced across town to the Smith home."

The Smith house was on fire when Ghekiere arrived, according to the AP.

The Associated Press reported that two hours after arriving at the crime scene, Ghekiere learned his wife, two children, and two stepchildren had been killed.

Ghekiere said of his brother-in-law, "Monster isn't even enough to describe what he did."

Ghekiere stated that police later confirmed his daughter, Charlotte, made the 911 call from inside the residence.

Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor and family friend, told NBC News, "Charlotte was the hero that dialed 911. She tried to save her family."

Mercer added, "She lived by her favorite quote, 'I love you more.'"

According to CBS News, Brad Ireland said of Alan Smith, "There were many red flags, and many people spoke out. No one listened."

O'Donnell said the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office "had not been called to this residence before, and we had not had any prior contact with the suspect."

A search of criminal records in Montana and Washington by the Associated Press found that Alan Smith had never been arrested or charged with a crime.

A GoFundMe campaign launched on behalf of Landon Ghekiere and Charlotte Ghekiere raised nearly $95,000 as of Friday morning.

The crowdfunding listing reads:

Landon was just 15 years old and preparing to begin his sophomore year at Senior High School. He was a loving, caring young man who was always willing to lend a hand to his family and neighbors. He was looking forward to getting his driver’s license this week and was a patient, protective, and loving big brother.

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. She especially loved exploring the world around her, turning over rocks to look for bugs. Oh, how she loved her bugs!

A separate GoFundMe campaign to help support Adam Ghekiere has raised nearly $130,000.

Ghekiere said, "We are so grateful for the prayers, the love, the support that we're getting from the nation."

Authorities are still piecing together an official motive for the tragic mass shooting.

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