Armed and Dangerous Suspect at Large: Search Ongoing for Montana Bar Shooter Who Killed Four, Closing Forested Areas

Law enforcement agencies continue their search for a suspect involved in a deadly shooting at a Montana bar on Friday morning, which has prompted the closure of nearby areas including Barker Lakes as authorities work to locate the individual.

The incident occurred at The Owl Bar, with four individuals confirmed dead and no arrests made as of yet. As part of the ongoing search, officials have shut down the area surrounding Barker Lakes, west of Anaconda, where the shooting took place.

Earlier today, multiple local, state, and federal agencies were searching for Michael Paul Brown in and around Stumptown Road, north of the lake. The public has been advised to avoid the area and not approach the suspect, who is considered armed and extremely dangerous. Authorities have asked anyone with information on Brown’s whereabouts to contact 911 immediately.

Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Police Chief Bill Sather appealed for public assistance in finding the perpetrator while expressing gratitude for the community’s patience during this challenging time. In a Facebook video, he emphasized that the authorities are doing everything possible to bring the suspect to justice and urged residents to exercise caution as they go about their daily activities within town limits.

On Friday, a white Ford F-150 driven by Brown was found but the suspect could not be located in or around the vehicle. Randy Clark, a resident near Highway 1 and Stumptown Road, reported hearing helicopters flying over his home on both Saturday morning and late Friday night during the search for Brown.

Clark, a former police officer, described seeing state troopers and local law enforcement vehicles traveling down Highway 1, westward towards Philipsburg, as well as blue lights from the authorities’ vehicles. He couldn’t determine whether the shouts he heard were directed at the suspect or between officers.

The shooting took place at approximately 10:30 a.m. local time on Friday, and the scene has since been secured by investigators without providing further details about the events leading up to the incident. The names of the victims are being withheld until their families have been notified.

Friday’s shooting marks one of at least 256 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. A bartender who has worked at The Owl Bar for six months expressed feelings of overwhelming sadness and disbelief regarding the incident.

Cassandra Dutra believes every person present at the bar during the shooting was killed, including a fellow bartender and three customers. She was not working on Friday but lived near the bar and initially assumed the noise she heard was coming from construction work outside. When she learned about the shooting at The Owl Bar, she did not believe it posed an immediate threat to those nearby.

David Gwerder, the owner of The Owl Bar, told The Associated Press that he was unaware of any conflicts between Brown and anyone present in the bar on Friday morning. Clare Boyle, Brown’s niece, described her uncle as a veteran who struggled with his mental health during and after his military service.

Brown served in the US Army from January 2001 to May 2005, including a deployment to Iraq from February 2004 to March 2005. He then joined the Montana National Guard from April 2006 to March 2009, leaving military service as a sergeant. Boyle stated that Brown’s mental health deteriorated following the loss of both parents.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and Congressman Ryan Zinke have expressed their sympathies for the victims and their families, as well as for the law enforcement officers involved in the investigation. Assistance with the investigation is being provided by the FBI, the Denver office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Granite County Sheriff’s Office.