Seven-year-old Chloe Ireland was the youngest of eight family members killed in a mass shooting on August 23, 2026, in Billings, Montana. She was a daughter, a sister, and a member of a large, four-generation blended family that was described by friends as loving and close. Chloe's mother, Megan Ireland-Ghekiere, had returned to Billings in 2019 as a single mother to Chloe and her older brother, Owen, who was 13.
Being a mother was considered Megan's calling, and her two children were the center of her world. The family had recently blended with Megan's new husband, Adam Ghekiere, and his two children, Landon and Charlotte. A local beautician who had given Chloe her first haircut as a baby had just given her a back-to-school haircut the day before she died.
The family had gathered for their traditional Sunday dinner at the home of Chloe’s maternal grandparents, Dana and Barbara Smith, on White Star Circle. The home was located in a subdivision just west of the Billings city limits. Also present were Chloe's brother Owen, her step-siblings Landon Ghekiere, 15, and Charlotte Ghekiere, 12, her mother Megan, her grandparents, and her 92-year-old great-grandmother, Evelyn Smith. The gathering turned tragic when Megan’s brother, 44-year-old Alan Michael Smith, arrived at the home around 5:49 p.m. and opened fire on his family.
At 6:01 p.m., a 911 call was made from the home by 12-year-old Charlotte, reporting a family disturbance. The first officer from the Billings Police Department arrived at 6:12 p.m. and saw Alan Smith in the front yard before he retreated inside. Officers then heard more gunfire from the back of the house. By 6:15 p.m., the house was engulfed in smoke and flames. Investigators later determined that Smith had intentionally set multiple fires inside the residence. The blaze, which was fought by firefighters until 1 a.m., completely destroyed the house down to its foundation and delayed the recovery of the victims.
When law enforcement arrived, Alan Smith ran into the backyard, where he was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Inside the ruins of the home, investigators found the bodies of Chloe and seven of her family members. The victims spanned four generations, from Chloe at age 7 to her great-grandmother Evelyn at 92. The case was investigated by the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office with assistance from the Billings Police Department and state and federal agencies. The motive appeared to be related to a domestic dispute; Smith's parents had asked him to move out of their home a few weeks prior to the shooting.
The deaths of Chloe and her family devastated the Billings community. Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O'Donnell described the event as a "tragic loss," adding, "I don't think 'tragic' is a strong enough word for this." A makeshift memorial of teddy bears and photos appeared outside the family's home. On August 27, more than a thousand people gathered at Veterans Park in Billings for a candlelight vigil to honor the eight victims. Large photos of each family member, including Chloe, were displayed on stage as friends, family, and educators read remembrances. The families requested that the focus remain on the victims and their lives, not the perpetrator.
A GoFundMe campaign was organized to help Chloe's father, Brad Ireland, with funeral and memorial costs for both Chloe and her brother, Owen. The fundraiser noted the family was in a period of "unspeakable loss and grief." The case is considered solved, as the primary suspect, Alan Michael Smith, died by suicide on the day of the murders in August 2026. No charges were filed, and the investigation concluded with the identification of the deceased suspect as the sole perpetrator of the familicide.
