A 911 call has revealed how Billings, Montana police watched a family home go up in flames on Sunday evening, moments before eight people, including several children, were found dead inside. Officers responded to reports of gunfire and an unconscious child, arriving within ten minutes to find the house already "fully engulfed" in flames, with gunshots still audible and the suspected shooter reportedly spotted at the back of the burning property before further shots rang out. The suspected gunman later died in hospital of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and his connection to the family remains unclear.

Among the dead were Megan Ghekiere, 39, and her stepchildren Landon, 15, and Charlotte, 12, identified by relatives through GoFundMe appeals, while five other family members also perished; the children's parents, Adam Ghekiere and Erica Jarussi Schneider, along with her husband Danny, were not at home at the time. Officials said the house was set alight within three minutes of the 911 call being made, and the absence of nearby fire hydrants hampered firefighters' efforts to control the blaze. Investigators say fire and water damage will slow the probe into the shooting and fire, with further details expected from authorities on Wednesday.