Montana Manhunt Continues for Armed, Dangerous Suspect Accused of Deadly Bar Shooting in Anaconda

In a tragic turn of events, the identities of the victims involved in a shooting at a bar in Anaconda, Montana on Friday have been confirmed. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced the names of the deceased individuals on Sunday, as authorities continue their manhunt for the suspect, Michael Paul Brown.

The victims were all local residents and included 59-year-old Daniel Edwin Baillie, 64-year-old Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 70-year-old David Allen Leach, and 74-year-old Tony Wayne Palm. Among the victims were a bartender and two customers, according to Knudsen’s office.

Previously, authorities had misspelled Baillie’s last name.

“I extend my deepest condolences to the community of Anaconda, as well as the families and friends of these victims,” Knudsen said. “This is an unimaginable tragedy.”

Brown, who family members claim struggled with mental health issues, was caught on security footage fleeing The Owl Bar on Friday. He has remained at large for more than 48 hours, and authorities are offering a $7,500 reward for any information that could lead to his capture. Brown is believed to be armed and dangerous.

The shooting took place at the Owl Bar at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Friday, according to the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation. The scene has since been secured, and as of early Sunday, the bar is temporarily closed.

Cassandra Dutra, a bartender at the establishment, expressed her shock and sadness following the incident. She stated that Brown was a frequent customer but not part of the usual camaraderie among other patrons. Dutra also shared memories of one of the victims, Nancy Kelley, a retired nurse who worked with cancer patients and had recently retired.

David Gwerder, the owner of The Owl Bar, told reporters he was unaware of any conflicts between Brown and any individuals present in the bar on Friday morning. CNN reached out to Gwerder for comment.

Brown served in the US Army from January 2001 to May 2005, with a deployment to Iraq from February 2004 to March 2005. He later joined the Montana National Guard from April 2006 to March 2009 and left military service as a sergeant.

Brown’s niece, Clare Boyle, revealed that her uncle struggled with mental health issues while serving in the Army and did not recover after his parents’ passing. She described him as “very sick” but also recalled some happy moments, such as learning to ride a bike together and fishing trips.

Boyle expressed sympathy and sorrow for the victims’ families, acknowledging that five families have been devastated by this incident. The Army declined to release information about Brown’s mental health history due to policy and privacy concerns.

Authorities are focusing their search efforts in the Barker Lake area within the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest and along Stumptown Road, north of the lake. Anaconda resident Dan Haffey, a former fire foreman for the Montana Division of Forestry, stated that finding Brown could prove challenging due to the vast size of the mountainous terrain.

Residents in the area reported hearing sirens and seeing police activity on Friday evening and early Saturday morning. Randy Clark, who lives near Highway 1 and Stumptown Road, said helicopter searches resumed at 6 a.m. on Saturday and continued until about 11 p.m. on Friday.

A white Ford F-150 truck that Brown was believed to have been driving was found after the shooting, but Brown was not discovered near the vehicle. The Anaconda Deer-Lodge County Police Department, FBI, Denver office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Granite County Sheriff’s Office are all assisting with the ongoing investigation.