Massacre in the USA: Man murders eight family members after being asked to leave home
Eight family members were murdered during a family gathering by a relative who had been asked to move out. The perpetrator set the house on fire and took his own life.
In a tragic incident in Montana, USA, 44-year-old Allen Smith murdered his grandmother, his parents, his younger sister, and her four children. The motive for the killings stemmed from his parents' request that he move out of their home. After committing the murders, Smith set the house on fire and took his own life during a confrontation with police.
For years, Smith had lived with his parents, reportedly isolating himself in his room for long hours with his computer. Weeks after being asked to leave, he returned to the house, murdered eight people gathered for a family meal, and set the structure ablaze, according to the Associated Press. The victims spanned four generations, ranging from a great-grandmother in her 90s to a seven-year-old girl.
Police arrived at the scene on Sunday evening as shots were heard, moments before the building was engulfed in flames.
"The only thing we know is that Charlotte was a hero," a neighbor told the news agency, referring to the 12-year-old girl who called the police in a desperate attempt to save her family.
The ex-husband of Smith's sister, who was killed alongside two of his children, stated that the tragedy was preventable: "There were many warning signs, and many people raised alarms, but no one listened." The sister's current husband, who also lost two of his children, suggested that the perpetrator had not expected the children to be present.
"The word 'monster' is not even enough to describe what he did," he said.
