Montana man kills 8 relatives at Sunday dinner before suicide

A man killed eight relatives, including four children, during a Sunday dinner at a home in Billings, Montana, before taking his own life, according to a family spokesperson. The victims spanned four generations of a blended family, from a great-grandmother in her 90s to a 7-year-old girl Source: AP News. Police responded to the home on Sunday evening, heard gunshots, and then saw the house engulfed in flames Source: CNN. The suspect, identified by a family member as 44-year-old Alan Smith, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Source: AP News.

The shooting

Authorities were called to a home on White Star Circle at about 6 p.m. after a 911 caller reported a family disturbance; dispatchers could hear gunfire during the call Source: Ground News. The suspect had been asked to move out weeks earlier but returned on Sunday Source: AP News. Among the dead were Brad Ireland's ex-wife and two children, as well as the shooter's parents, grandmother, and sister Source: AP News.

The response

Firefighters faced delays because officers had to secure the scene first, and water access issues may have compounded the problem, according to Fire Chief Matt Hoppel Source: The Guardian. The fire consumed the home, complicating the investigation Source: The Guardian. Officials have not yet released the official number of victims or their identities, though a family fundraiser cited eight deaths Source: The Guardian.

What's next

Authorities are continuing to investigate the motive and how the fire started, with an update expected Wednesday Source: The Guardian. The killings add to a year of mass murders in the US; the Gun Violence Archive counted at least 16 before this incident Source: The Guardian.