August 26, 2026 / 6:33 AM EDT
/ CBS/AP
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Horrific details are emerging and a young girl is being hailed as a hero after authorities said a shooting and fire left multiple people dead at a family's home in Montana. A family member told The Associated Press that a man killed eight of his relatives, including four children, as they gathered for Sunday dinner at a home outside Billings, weeks after his parents asked him to move out. Brad Ireland, whose former wife and two children were among the dead, identified the shooter as 44-year-old Alan Smith. Smith's parents, who were also killed, had asked him to move out, but he returned on Sunday and opened fire, Ireland said. The victims represented four generations of the blended family, ranging from a great-grandmother in her 90s who used a wheelchair to a 7-year-old girl, according to Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor and family friend who set up an online fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and other expenses, and was authorized to release these details. Police 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 were eight victims, including four children, and that the suspect had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound and later died. The investigation has been complicated by concerns about the structural integrity of the house after the fire burned it to its foundation, said Jeff Stovall, a spokesperson for the Billings Police Department."First and foremost, the Billings Police Department extends our deepest condolences to everyone affected by this awful tragedy," Sgt. Jeff Stovall, of the Billings Police Department, said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the families, loved ones, and all those impacted during this incredibly difficult time."
