Several people, including children, were killed when a gunman opened fire at a house in the US state of Montana, authorities said on Monday, according to media reports.
Police described the Sunday evening incident near the West End neighbourhood in the city of Billings as a family disturbance.
The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot after setting the house on fire, NBC reported on Monday.
Interim Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O’Donnell said on Monday that “multiple adults and multiple juveniles” died at the residence.
The dead have been identified, but their number, names, and ages have not yet been released.
“Because of the fire and obviously water that goes to suppress that fire, it’s going to slow our investigation of the crime scene recovery of evidence,” he said. “So we ask for patience as we complete this investigation.”
O’Donnell said police responded to a shooting on White Star Circle after a 911 caller reported hearing gunshots.
Officers arrived about 10 minutes later and heard gunfire from the back of the house. Three minutes after that, the residence was fully engulfed in flames.
Firefighters were dispatched but reportedly faced limited water access and fewer hydrants than ideal.
“The delay in limited access presented significant challenges, fire conditions continued to worsen, and the residents ultimately became ... consumed by fire,” Billings Fire Chief Matt Hoppel said on Monday.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Police Sergeant Jeff Stovall said some details were being withheld “to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.”
“There are details we simply cannot release at this time,” he said.
