Eight members of a Montana family were killed after gunfire erupted at a burning Billings home Sunday, with authorities later finding the suspected shooter dead nearby from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
Eight members of a family, including multiple children, were killed Sunday evening during a shooting at a Billings, Montana, residence that was engulfed in flames within minutes of police arriving, while one additional person survived and was taken to a hospital.
Authorities were dispatched to the home shortly after 6 p.m. following reports of both a shooting and a family disturbance, according to The New York Post.
Officers reached the property approximately 10 minutes later and encountered an already rapidly deteriorating scene. Police heard gunfire coming from behind the residence while flames were burning inside the structure.
Authorities then spotted a man in the backyard and heard additional shots. Within roughly three minutes, the house was completely engulfed in fire.
Investigators subsequently determined that eight members of the family had been killed, including several children. The victims were inside the residence as the fire consumed the home.
Billings Police Department Assistant Chief Shawn Mayo said the intensity and location of the flames prevented emergency crews from safely reaching people inside.
“When the fire was observed in the structure, fire suppression efforts took priority as the fire blocked any reasonable attempt to rescue or recover victims,” Mayo said during a Monday news conference.
One person survived the attack and was transported to a hospital. Authorities had not disclosed that survivor’s condition.
Three family members — father Adam Ghekiere, mother Erica Jarussi Schneider and stepfather Danny — were not at the house when the violence occurred and were reported to be unharmed.
The suspected gunman was later found dead near the residence after apparently shooting himself in the head, according to the Daily Mail.
Authorities had not publicly established how the suspected shooter was connected to the family, and a motive remained unknown.
The identities of most of those killed had also not yet been officially detailed. However, a GoFundMe organized by a family friend identified two of the victims as siblings Charlotte Gheikere, 12, and Landon Gheikere, 15.
“Our community lost two of its brightest lights, Landon and Charlotte, along with six other family members, in a senseless act of violence,” the fundraiser states.
“These two precious children leave behind a hole that is impossible to comprehend, along with a family facing unimaginable grief.”
The deaths of Charlotte and Landon account for two of the eight family members reported killed. Authorities are expected to release additional information about the remaining victims as the investigation progresses.
The combination of the shooting and rapidly spreading fire complicated the emergency response and subsequent recovery effort. Officers arriving at the property were confronted almost immediately with continuing gunfire, a person visible in the backyard and flames that soon overtook the entire structure.
Investigators are now working to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the killings, determine the suspected gunman’s relationship to the victims and establish a possible motive.
Billings authorities are expected to provide additional details during another news conference scheduled for Wednesday, including further information about those killed and what investigators believe may have precipitated the attack.
heinous crimes imaginable.
As The New York Post reported, police were called to a house in Billings just after 6 p.m. Sunday after receiving reports of a shooting along with a family disturbance.
When authorities arrived at the scene roughly ten minutes later, they heard gunfire from the back of the house, which was already on fire.
They then saw a male in the backyard and heard even more gunfire. Three minutes later, the home was engulfed in flames.
Police later discovered that the unknown gunman had slaughtered eight members of the family, including multiple children. These family members were trapped inside as the house burned to the ground.
“When the fire was observed in the structure, fire suppression efforts took priority as the fire blocked any reasonable attempt to rescue or recover victims,” Billings Police Department Assistant Chief Shawn Mayo said at a news conference on Monday.
The father, Adam Ghekiere, the mother, Erica Jarussi Schneider, and the stepfather, Danny, were not at the scene. All are reportedly unharmed.
One person survived the attack and was rushed to the hospital, but their condition is unknown.
The Daily Mail reports that the gunman was found dead near the house after shooting himself in the head.
It’s not yet known how the gunman was related to the family.
A GoFundMe set up by a friend of the family identified two of the victims as 12-year-old Charlotte Gheikere and her 15-year-old brother Landon.
“Our community lost two of its brightest lights, Landon and Charlotte, along with six other family members, in a senseless act of violence,” the GoFundMe reads.
“These two precious children leave behind a hole that is impossible to comprehend, along with a family facing unimaginable grief.”
The New York Post reports another press conference is scheduled for Wednesday.
Police say they will provide more information about the victims and possible motives.
Original article
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