BILLINGS — Four days after eight members of a family died in what authorities are investigating as a mass shooting and house fire, more than 1,000 people gathered Thursday evening at Veterans Park to remember the lives behind the headlines.
Family members, friends, neighbors, and strangers stood together for a vigil organized in just four days.
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The gathering was less about the circumstances of the deaths and more about the people who died, their personalities, their relationships, and the memories they leave behind.
“This evening is not about the circumstances of their death, but it's about the lives lived,” First Presbyterian Church Pastor Dave Thompson told the crowd. “The love they gave, the people who will carry them in their hearts forever and ever.”
For those closest to the family, the outpouring of support was difficult to put into words.
“Got here and just people walking up, ‘Hey, what can I do? What can I do to help get this started?’” said Adam Ghekiere, whose children, Landon and Charlotte, were among those killed.
Ghekiere said strangers approached him and other family members, offering hugs and help.
“It’s amazing. Strangers are coming up and hugging us, and it’s powerful. There's great energy here,” he said.
Related: In grief, Billings families call for memories of lost loved ones to stay alive
Erica Schneider, also grieving the loss of her children, Landon and Charlotte, said the support showed the strength of the Billings community.
“This is something I feel everybody is coming together to support no matter what,” Schneider said. “It’s unfortunate that this is what has taken place for that to happen, but it’s beautiful.”
Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor of Landon and Charlotte, helped organize the vigil. She said the community response has been overwhelming.
“Gratitude,” Mercer said. “Our community has surrounded this family in the most beautiful possible way.”
Mercer remembered the children as “the brightest little lights” and “the sweetest kids.”
“We want to make sure that their lives are remembered and that their stories come alive so that people feel like they knew these beautiful souls,” she said.
Each color of balloon at the vigil represented one of the eight people who died. Speakers shared memories of the family members and focused on who they were rather than how they died.
"Big J Show" producer Justin Hutchinson, who also helped with organizing efforts, told those gathered that the community's presence mattered even for people who never knew the family.
“We may not know the family whose story we hear on the news, but we're neighbors. Tonight we’re not here just because we didn’t know these family members,” Hutchinson said. “We’re here because they mattered.”
Billings Mayor Mike Nelson described the loss as one that shook the community's sense of safety, but also pointed to the people filling Veterans Park as evidence of what he called the true strength of Billings.
“We’re standing shoulder to shoulder in a darkness that feels foreign to our home,” Nelson said. “They call us the Magic City, but you know the true magic of Billings has never been the mighty Yellowstone River or the majestic Rims that ring the city ... it’s you. It’s our people.”
Authorities said 44-year-old Alan Michael Smith killed eight members of his family Sunday at a home in Billings’ far West End before setting the house on fire. Smith later died by suicide, according to authorities.
Related: Sheriff identifies deceased suspect in Billings mass shooting
The victims were Megan Ireland Ghekiere; her children, Owen Ireland, 13, and Chloe Ireland, 7; her stepchildren, Landon Ghekiere, 15, and Charlotte Ghekiere, 12; her parents, Dana Smith, 72, and Barbara Smith, 69; and 92-year-old Evelyn Smith, the family matriarch.
Ghekiere was Adam Ghekiere’s wife, while Landon and Charlotte were Adam and Schneider’s biological children.
Yellowstone County Interim Sheriff Kent O’Donnell has said the investigation remains ongoing and has been complicated because there were no surviving witnesses to the shooting.
A 911 call came from the home at 315 White Star Circle at about 6 p.m. Sunday reporting a shooting. Family members have said the call was placed by 12-year-old Charlotte Ghekiere.
When deputies and firefighters arrived, the home was on fire. Firefighters initially could not enter because of the reported gunfire inside.
Authorities have not yet publicly confirmed the manner of death for all eight victims. If investigators determine all eight died from gunshot wounds, the incident could become Montana’s deadliest mass shooting in recent history.
For Schneider, the circumstances of the deaths should not become the defining story of the people who died.
“It is important that the events that happened on Sunday are not the focus, but the people that were affected, that they are remembered,” she said. “That they’re not just another number, that they’re not a statistic. They are people, and they were wonderful, and their lives mattered.”
That message echoed throughout the vigil.
Ghekiere said the response has stretched far beyond Billings. He has been in contact with Owen and Chloe’s father, he said, and people connected to the family overseas have also learned about the tragedy and offered their support.
“The one word I keep thinking is community,” Ghekiere said. "It's amazing how far this has spread and how much love we're getting.”
Related: Billings memorial growing as it honors 8 victims of mass shooting
The community's support has also taken a tangible form. GoFundMe campaigns established to help the affected family members have raised more than $200,000 collectively, according to the fundraising pages.
Mercer said more events are being planned to celebrate the family's lives, including fundraisers and a weeklong celebration planned for later in September.
For those gathered Thursday night, the message was simple: The family is not grieving alone, and the people they lost will not be reduced to the circumstances of their deaths.
“This event is going to show not only do our kids, my wife, my in-laws, Evelyn had a heart of gold, but everyone has come together,” he said.
In the midst of an unimaginable loss, Billings showed up with candles, prayers, hugs, and a promise to remember.
This GoFundMe benefits Adam Ghekiere.
This GoFundMe benefits Erica Schneider, the biological mother of Landon and Charlotte.
This GoFundMe benefits the father of Owen and Chloe.
Related:
Sheriff: Multiple people dead following fire and shooting at Billings home
