Harrowing 911 Call Reveals First Moments of Billings Family Shooting and Fire That Left Eight Dead

A newly released 911 dispatch recording has provided a clearer picture of the first chaotic minutes of the tragedy at a Billings, Montana, home where eight members of one family — including four children — were killed Sunday evening.

Emergency communications began shortly after 6 p.m. with reports of gunfire at the residence. Dispatchers could hear shots in the background of the original 911 call, according to authorities. Fire crews were also being positioned nearby as law enforcement responded to what was initially described as an active shooting.

The recording captured another urgent piece of information: an unconscious child was believed to be inside the home.

“There is also going to be an unconscious child inside of the home,” a dispatcher said. When asked whether the child had suffered a gunshot wound, the dispatcher said that had not yet been confirmed and that the child’s breathing status was unknown.

Officers arrived as gunfire continued

A madman opened fire on the home in Billings before it was set on fire.Nate Sayler Racing / Facebook

The first law enforcement officer reached the residence shortly after 6:10 p.m. Authorities said additional gunfire could be heard coming from behind the property.

At almost the same time, the emergency was becoming a major fire scene. The house rapidly became engulfed in flames, creating a dangerous situation for police and firefighters and later making recovery efforts significantly more difficult.

The dispatch audio also referred to a patient with a gunshot wound to the head.

Authorities later said the suspected gunman was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was transported to a hospital but died.

Investigators ultimately confirmed eight victims: four adults and four children.

Eight relatives gathered for Sunday dinner

Subsequent reporting has revealed more about what was happening inside the home before the emergency call.

The family had gathered for Sunday dinner when the shooting occurred, according to relatives who spoke with the Associated Press. The victims spanned four generations of the same blended family.

They were identified by family as Megan Ghekiere; her children Owen Ireland, 13, and Chloe Ireland, 7; her stepchildren Landon Ghekiere, 15, and Charlotte Ghekiere, 12; her parents, Dana and Barb Smith; and her grandmother, Evelyn Smith.

Adam Ghekiere, Megan’s husband and the father of Landon and Charlotte, was working when the attack occurred.

The suspected gunman was later identified by family members as 44-year-old Alan Smith, Megan’s brother. Relatives said Smith’s parents had asked him to move out of their home weeks earlier. He returned to the house on Sunday, according to the family’s account. Investigators have continued working to establish the precise motive and sequence of events.

Family says Charlotte, 12, made the 911 call

The remains of the house after the fire.KTVQ

One of the most significant details to emerge since the initial reports concerns Charlotte.

Family members say the 12-year-old was the person who called 911 as the shooting unfolded.

“The one thing we do know is that Charlotte was the hero,” family spokesperson Jennifer Mercer told the Associated Press, adding that Charlotte had tried to save her family by summoning emergency responders.

Local reporting also confirmed that relatives credit Charlotte with making the emergency call that brought authorities to the house.

That revelation gives new context to the dispatch recording. What initially emerged simply as a terrifying emergency call reporting gunfire was, according to the family, an attempt by a 12-year-old girl inside the home to get help for her relatives.

Fire complicated the emergency response

Firefighters faced extraordinary difficulties once they reached the area.

The residence was outside Billings municipal limits and the subdivision did not have fire hydrants. Firefighters also could not immediately move in while the shooting scene remained unsecured.

Those factors allowed conditions inside the property to deteriorate rapidly. Firefighters continued battling the blaze until around 1 a.m., while the home sustained catastrophic damage.

The destruction has complicated investigators’ efforts to recover evidence and reconstruct exactly what happened.

Authorities have described the investigation as complex, with the structural condition of the burned property presenting additional challenges.

Family remembers Landon and Charlotte

As investigators continue their work, relatives have begun sharing memories of the children whose lives were lost.

Landon, 15, was remembered as a patient, protective and loving older brother who was always willing to help others. Charlotte, who was preparing to enter seventh grade, was described by relatives as funny, precocious and affectionate, with a “heart of gold.” She had recently developed interests in crocheting and golf.

Those memories have now been joined by the family’s account of Charlotte’s actions during the emergency.

Amid the confusion captured in the dispatch recording — reports of gunfire, an unconscious child and a rapidly developing fire — relatives say the 12-year-old managed to make the call that alerted authorities.

For her family, that final act is how they want Charlotte to be remembered: as the young girl who tried to bring help to everyone inside the house.

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