Multiple people, including children, killed in Montana shooting and fire

Multiple people, including children, were killed in a shooting and fire at a home in Billings, Montana, on Sunday evening, authorities said.

Police responded to the house just after 6 p.m. following reports of a shooting and a family disturbance. The gunman opened fire inside the residence before setting the property ablaze.

Two of the victims have been identified locally as 12-year-old Charlotte Gheikiere and her 15-year-old brother Landon. According to a GoFundMe page set up by a family member, eight family members in total were killed in the incident.

The suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after setting the fire, law enforcement said. Investigators were still working to determine what motivated the shooting on Monday.

The Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office said the perpetrator knew the individuals he targeted. Interim Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O'Donnell linked the incident to a family dispute in a statement.

"The initial investigation shows that this event started as a family disturbance and was not a random act of violence where the parties were unknown to each other," the sheriff's office said. The office added that "there is no further danger to the public."

Authorities said both the suspect and victims have been identified, though the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office and Billings Police Department declined to publicly disclose the total number of victims or provide additional identifying information at the time of reporting.