Eight members of a Billings, Montana, family are dead — four generations wiped out in a single evening — after a relative armed with a gun opened fire during Sunday dinner and the house went up in flames minutes later, authorities say. The suspect, found in the backyard with what police called a self-inflicted gunshot wound, died at a hospital.

The 911 call came in at 6:01 p.m. Sunday from a home on White Star Circle in Billings' West End. Officers arrived roughly 11 minutes later and could still hear gunshots coming from behind the house; by 6:15 p.m., the residence was fully engulfed, according to a police timeline reported by NBC News. Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O'Donnell said investigators believe the violence "started out as a family disturbance."

Four generations, one house

The victims, identified by KTVQ through family members, were Megan Ghekiere, who worked at Intermountain Health; her children Owen Ireland, 13, Charlotte Ghekiere, 12, and Chloe Ireland, 7; her son Landon Ghekiere, 15; her parents Dana Smith, 72, a retired Air Force veteran, and Barb Smith, 69, a retired teacher; and Megan's grandmother, Evelyn Smith, who was in her 90s. Relatives said Charlotte managed to call 911 as the shooting began — an act family members are now calling heroic.

"There were many red flags and many people spoke out. No one listened."

That's how Brad Ireland, a family friend, described the aftermath to reporters. Relatives have identified the suspect as 44-year-old Alan Smith, Megan's brother, who they say had been asked by his parents to move out of the family home weeks earlier and returned Sunday evening as the extended family gathered for dinner, according to NBC Montana. Ireland described him as a recluse who "spent most of his time in his room on a computer," adding, "no one knew what he did in there 24/7." Police have not officially released the suspect's identity.

Billings Mayor Mike Nelson called the deaths "heartbreaking," while Assistant Police Chief Shawn Mayo described the case as "a tragedy for a Billings family and the community." Investigators say no additional suspects are being sought.

The Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office, Billings Police Department and multiple state and federal agencies are jointly investigating both the shooting and the fire, which authorities say complicated efforts to recover victims' remains and process the scene. Police held a follow-up briefing Wednesday to release further findings, and the fire's official cause has not yet been announced.

Family members are organizing a candlelight vigil open to the public, with details to be announced. No funeral arrangements have been made public.