Manhunt For Montana Bar Shooting Suspect Continues As Authorities Warn He Could Return To Area

Authorities are still searching for Army veteran Michael Paul Brown, 45, who is suspected of killing four people at a bar in Anaconda, Montana, last week.

Brown allegedly entered The Owl Bar with a rifle and opened fire around 10:30 a.m. on Friday. He then fled the scene.

Officials say Brown is “an armed and extremely dangerous individual,” and could return to the area.

Michael Brown, suspected of killing four people at a Montana bar, is still on the run

Image credits: Montana Department of Justice/Facebook

The manhunt has now entered its fourth day, with Brown last seen on Friday afternoon near Stump Town.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said during a Sunday news conference that Brown is “an unstable individual who walked in and murdered four people in cold blood, for no reason whatsoever.” 

“There absolutely is concern for the public,” he warned.

He urged the public to stay alert and call 911 with any tips. A $7,500 reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.

Officials identified the victims as bartender Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64, and patrons Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59, David Allen Leach, 70, and Tony Wayne Palm, 74.

All were residents of Anaconda. 

Image credits: Breaking911

Kelley’s daughter, Kristian Kelley, said her mother was a retired oncology nurse who worked part-time at the bar to stay social. 

“It kept her a little bit social, just seeing people,” she said. 

She added that she first learned about the shooting from a friend’s text and then discovered her mother was one of the victims.

“We didn’t even lock our cars outside, you know, or the house, and it’s, I mean, I wouldn’t say it’s dangerous here at all,” Kelly told NBC News, saying she could never have imagined that such an incident would happen in Anaconda.

Brown, who lived next door to the bar and was a regular customer, is a U.S. Army veteran who served from 2001 to 2005, including a deployment in Iraq. 

He later joined the Montana National Guard. 

Brown, an Army veteran, reportedly suffers from mental health issues

Image credits: Montana Department of Justice/Facebook

Family members and friends say Brown has struggled with mental health issues, like PTSD, for years. 

His niece, Clare Boyle, told the Associated Press that her uncle was sick.

“This isn’t just a drunk/high man going wild,” she said in a Facebook message. “It’s a sick man who doesn’t know who he is sometimes and frequently doesn’t know where or when he is either.”

A longtime acquaintance, Shane Charles, said Brown did well when taking his medications but had “some mental health problems.”

Knudsen said it is likely Brown knew the bartender and patrons, calling the attack “even more heinous” because of that connection. 

Authorities say he was first seen wearing a tie-dye shirt, jeans, and an orange bandana. Surveillance images later showed him shirtless, barefoot, and wearing only black shorts. 

Officials believe Brown later stole a vehicle containing clothes and camping supplies, which means he may now be dressed and better equipped to hide. 

Image credits: Louise Johns/Getty Images

Law enforcement briefly pursued him in the stolen vehicle but backed off when they realized he was likely armed. The vehicle was later found abandoned.

“We want to find this guy,” Knudsen said. “This is a dangerous individual who has committed an absolute heinous crime against this community.”

About 250 federal, state, and local officers are involved in the search, which has focused on areas near Stumptown Road and expanded to Barker Lake and parts of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. 

“We’ve got a lot of locals on our side,” Knudsen said. “Also, we’ve got a lot of assets in the air; we’ve got a lot of assets on the ground. We’re going to find him.” 

Brown is believed to be traveling on foot

He added that Brown would be on the run on foot, not in a vehicle.

Knudsen said law enforcement will not rule out the possibility that Brown could be dead but emphasized they are assuming he is alive and “extremely dangerous.”

The town of Anaconda, which has about 9,000 residents, has been shaken by the tragedy. 

Many businesses closed after the shooting, and several public events were canceled over the weekend.  

“These things do not happen in Montana,” Knudsen said. “This is extremely, extremely rare and out of the ordinary for us here.”

Image credits: Don and Melinda Crawford/Getty Images

Authorities say Brown has a criminal record. ​​“We’re going to catch this guy. This is still absolutely priority No. 1,” Knudsen assured residents.

Anyone who sees Brown or has information about his location is urged to call 911 or the tip line at 1-877-WANTED2.