Father of Two Children Killed in Montana Shooting Describes Frantic Attempts to Reach Them

Adam Ghekiere, the father of two children killed in a shooting in Montana, spoke about his efforts to reach them after hearing emergency crews were responding to the incident. Ghekiere lost his daughter Charlotte, 12, son Landon, 15, wife Megan, two stepchildren, Chloe, 7, and Owen, 13, as well as their 92-year-old great-grandmother and two other family members in the shooting. The incident occurred at their home in Billings, where Ghekiere was working as a rescue firefighter during an airshow on Sunday evening. He learned about the situation through communications at work and attempted to contact his family. "I tried calling the house and no one answered. I checked my kids’ locations, both Landon and Charlotte, and no one answered," Ghekiere stated. Upon arriving at the scene, he was prevented from getting closer due to the active shooter situation. Ghekiere indicated that the shooter, who later took his own life, was a family member who had developed a grudge against his parents. Police have not yet released an official motive or the name of the suspect. The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that detectives are still on the scene recovering the victims' bodies. Emergency services were alerted to reports of shots fired and an unconscious child, with fire crews also dispatched. The first responders arrived shortly after 6:10 p.m. and found a man outside the home, which was already smoking. Additional gunshots were reported before the house was engulfed in flames. Tributes for Charlotte and Landon have been shared on a GoFundMe page set up by family and friends, describing them as bright lights in their community. A press conference is expected to be held by authorities on Wednesday to provide more information.