Montana Man Kills 8 Relatives, Including 4 Children, at Family Dinner

A 44-year-old man, Alan Smith, killed eight relatives, including four children, during a Sunday dinner at a home near Billings, Montana, before setting the house on fire and dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The victims spanned four generations of a blended family, from a great-grandmother in her 90s to a 7-year-old girl. The shooter's parents, who were among the dead, had recently asked him to move out, according to Brad Ireland, whose former wife and two children were also killed. Police arrived to find the house engulfed in flames and heard gunshots from the back. Investigators confirmed eight victims and the suspect's death. The investigation is complicated by structural damage from the fire, which burned the house to its foundation. Firefighters battled the blaze until around 1am Monday, and the subdivision lacks fire hydrants. A neighbor and family friend, Jennifer Mercer, set up an online fundraiser for funeral costs.