Authorities say the deadly violence began as a family disturbance before flames consumed a home in Billings’ West End.
BILLINGS, MT — Multiple adults and children were killed Sunday after gunfire erupted at a West End home that soon caught fire, authorities said, while a male suspect found outside with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound later died at a hospital.
The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office is leading what officials described as a complex investigation involving a shooting, a badly damaged fire scene and several deaths. Authorities said the suspect knew the people who were targeted and that the violence grew out of a family disturbance rather than a random attack.
Investigators have identified those involved but have not publicly released the official number of victims, their names or their ages while evidence is still being recovered.
Police received a 911 call reporting a shooting at 315 White Star Circle at 6:01 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23. Authorities said dispatchers could hear gunfire in the background during the call.
The first law enforcement officer reached the home at about 6:12 p.m., and more shots were heard from behind the residence as officers moved into the area. Within minutes, smoke began pouring from the property.
By about 6:15 p.m., officials said, the house was heavily involved in fire.
Officers encountered a man in the backyard who had what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital at about 6:48 p.m., according to the police timeline. He later died.
Authorities identified him as the person suspected of carrying out the shootings but had not publicly released his name as of Tuesday.
Interim Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O’Donnell said Monday that multiple adults and multiple juveniles died at the residence. He said investigators had determined that all of the people involved were connected and that the shooting was not an attack on strangers.
“This is a very, very complex investigation,” O’Donnell said as he described the number of agencies working at the scene.
Police Assistant Chief Shawn Mayo said the fire quickly created another emergency while officers were still dealing with gunfire. The combination prevented firefighters from immediately entering the property or carrying out the kind of rescue operation they would normally attempt at a residential fire.
Officials have not said publicly what caused the blaze, whether it was deliberately set or exactly when the victims died. They also have not announced a motive beyond describing the events as a family disturbance.
Billings Fire Chief Matt Hoppel said crews faced dangerous conditions from the moment they reached the neighborhood. Firefighters could not move normally toward the burning home until law enforcement addressed the threat from the shooting, allowing flames to spread while access remained limited.
Fire suppression then became the immediate priority because the growing blaze blocked reasonable attempts to reach people inside.
The property sits outside Billings city limits but within an urban fire service area. Fire crews also faced water-supply challenges in the subdivision, where fire protection relies in part on dry hydrants and underground water storage rather than the standard pressurized hydrant system found in much of the city.
By the time crews were able to attack the flames, officials said, much of the residence had been consumed. The severe damage later made the search for victims, weapons and other physical evidence more difficult.
The fire also changed how investigators could process the home after the immediate danger ended. O’Donnell said heat, structural destruction and the large amount of water used to suppress the blaze could slow the recovery of evidence for several days.
Detectives and crime-scene specialists must determine where each person was found, identify evidence connected to the shooting and establish how the fire began.
Authorities have not publicly said how many firearms were recovered, how many shots were fired or whether investigators believe more than one part of the house was involved in the shooting. Officials also have not released autopsy findings or detailed causes of death for the victims.
Those unanswered questions are part of the reason investigators have limited the information being released while the scene remains under examination.
The sheriff’s office said there was no continuing threat to the public after the suspect was taken from the property.
The emergency drew a large response from Billings police, Yellowstone County sheriff’s deputies, the Montana Highway Patrol, fire departments and medical crews. Deputies from nearby counties also assisted as officials secured the neighborhood.
Residents were initially evacuated from the block while officers dealt with the gunfire and firefighters worked on the burning house. Later Sunday evening, authorities began allowing residents to return to their homes individually while continuing to restrict access around the destroyed residence.
Police asked people who did not live in the immediate area to stay away so investigators and emergency crews could work.
Sgt. Jeff Stovall of the Billings Police Department said the department’s thoughts were with the families and others affected by the deaths.
Officials have emphasized that the scene involved both a homicide investigation and a major structure fire, requiring several agencies to coordinate evidence recovery and safety operations.
Relatives have begun publicly mourning some of those lost even though law enforcement has not formally released the victims’ identities.
Fundraising pages and family accounts reported that children were among those killed, including siblings Landon, 15, and Charlotte, 12. Those accounts described the deaths as part of the same family tragedy at the White Star Circle home.
Authorities have not independently announced those names and have said they are withholding identifying information while notifications and investigative work continue.
Family members described the children as deeply loved and remembered them for their personalities, relationships and plans for the future.
The public tributes emerged while investigators were still working inside and around the burned structure, creating a gap between what relatives had begun sharing and what officials were prepared to confirm.
Law enforcement officials said their decision to hold back details was intended to protect the investigation and the families involved.
The case remains centered on what happened inside the residence before officers arrived and during the brief period between the first 911 call and the fire spreading through the house.
Authorities have said the suspected shooter knew the victims, but they have not detailed the exact relationships among those who died. They also have not said what argument or event led to the violence, whether the shooting began before the 911 call or whether anyone inside attempted to escape.
Investigators are expected to use physical evidence, emergency dispatch recordings, autopsy results and information from relatives to reconstruct the sequence.
Because the suspected gunman died, any final findings will come through the investigative process rather than a criminal trial.
No charges were pending against another person as of Tuesday, and officials have not indicated that they are seeking additional suspects. The sheriff’s office has repeatedly said the incident appears contained to the people connected to the home.
Authorities expected the evidence search at White Star Circle to continue for several days because of the condition of the property.
Investigators were preparing to provide another public update Wednesday as they worked to confirm the number of people killed, complete identifications and establish a clearer timeline of the shooting and fire.
Author note: Last updated August 25, 2026.