Slain girl hailed as hero after 8 relatives killed in Montana home

Horrific details are emerging and a young girl is being hailed as a hero after authorities said a shooting and fire left multiple people dead at a family's home in Montana.

A family member told The Associated Press that a man killed eight of his relatives , including four children, as they gathered for Sunday dinner at a home outside Billings, weeks after his parents asked him to move out.

Brad Ireland, whose former wife and two children were among the dead, identified the shooter as 44-year-old Alan Smith. Smith's parents, who were also killed, had asked him to move out, but he returned on Sunday and opened fire, Ireland said.

The victims represented four generations of the blended family, ranging from a great-grandmother in her 90s who used a wheelchair to a 7-year-old girl, according to Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor and family friend who set up an online fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and other expenses, and was authorized to release these details.

Police responded to the home on Sunday evening and heard gunshots coming from out back, just before the house was completely engulfed in flames. Investigators confirmed Tuesday there were eight victims, including four children, and that the suspect had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound and later died.

The investigation has been complicated by concerns about the structural integrity of the house after the fire burned it to its foundation, said Jeff Stovall, a spokesperson for the Billings Police Department.

"First and foremost, the Billings Police Department extends our deepest condolences to everyone affected by this awful tragedy," Sgt. Jeff Stovall, of the Billings Police Department, said in a statement . "Our thoughts are with the families, loved ones, and all those impacted during this incredibly difficult time."

Firefighters fought the blaze until around 1 a.m. Monday, according to Billings Fire Department Chief Matt Hoppel. The home is in a subdivision outside of city limits that's not required to have fire hydrants.

Efforts to fight the fire were delayed until the site was secure, allowing the blaze to tear through the home.

Among those killed were Ireland's ex-wife, Megan Ghekiere, and their two children, Owen Ireland, 13, and Chloe Ireland, 7. Also killed were Ghekiere's two stepchildren with her current husband: Landon Ghekiere, 15, and Charlotte Ghekiere, 12.

"The one thing we do know is that Charlotte was the hero," Mercer said. "Charlotte called 911 and she tried to save her family. And that's something the family does want out there."

Landon was preparing to begin his sophomore year at Billings Senior High School and Charlotte was about to start 7th grade, CBS affiliate KTVQ reported .

Mercer described the family as "very loving and close," and said the children all got along and that their parents remained amicable even after divorcing.

"I feel like our entire community is devastated, even people that never knew any of them," Mercer said.