Alan Smith Killed Eight Members of His Family, Including Four Children, Before Taking His Own Life

 

Alan Smith Killed Eight Members of His Family, Including Four Children, Before Taking His Own Life

In August 2026, 44-year-old Alan Smith fatally shot eight members of his own family during a Sunday dinner outside Billings, Montana.

The victims spanned four generations of the same family. Four were children.

According to family members, Smith had been forced by his parents to move out of their home several weeks earlier. On the day of the killings, he allegedly returned unexpectedly and opened fire.

The people killed were:

• Evelyn Smith, Smith's grandmother, a great-grandmother in her 90s who used a wheelchair
• Dana and Barb Smith, his parents
• Megan Ghekiere, his sister
• Landon Ghekiere, 15, his step-nephew
• Charlotte Ghekiere, 12, his step-niece
• Owen Ireland, 13, his nephew
• Chloe Ireland, 7, his niece

Charlotte was reportedly remembered as a hero for attempting to call 911 to save her family during the shooting.

After killing his relatives, Smith set the house on fire. Emergency crews responding to reports of gunfire encountered additional shots before the property became engulfed in flames.

Firefighters faced delays because the subdivision lacked fire hydrants and the scene remained an active threat. The house eventually burned completely to its foundation.

Smith later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, meaning there will never be a criminal trial.

Family members said there had been warning signs involving Smith's behavior and verbal abuse, although he reportedly had no previous criminal record or documented history of physical violence.

But this story belongs to the eight people whose lives were taken.

Evelyn. Dana. Barb. Megan. Landon. Charlotte. Owen. Chloe. Four generations of one family, gone. Four of them were children. Charlotte was only 12 and reportedly tried to call 911 while her family was being murdered. Even in that fucking terror, a child was trying to save everyone.