Adam Ghekiere, the father of two children killed in a Montana home massacre, described his desperate attempts to reach his family as a gunman opened fire and set the house ablaze.
Eight members of the same family died in the incident on Monday in Billings. Among the victims were Ghekiere's daughter Charlotte, 12, and son Landon, 15. Also killed were his wife Megan, her two stepchildren, aged 7 and 13, their 92-year-old great-grandmother, and two other relatives.
Ghekiere, who works as a rescue firefighter, was at an airshow when he learned of an unfolding incident near his in-laws' residence. He tried calling the house repeatedly but received no answer. Checking the location data for his children also yielded no response.
"By the time we got to the house, they wouldn’t let us get any closer because it was still under an active shooter status. I feared the worst right then," he told The U.S. Sun.
Authorities have not officially released the suspect's name or the motive for the killings. Ghekiere stated that the gunman, who died by suicide after the incident, was a member of his extended family who held a grudge against his parents. He also expressed that he did not believe the shooter expected his children to be at the house.
Police are expected to hold a press conference on Wednesday to provide further details on the event.
This is a developing story.