Ex-U.S. Soldier Suspected of Killing 4 in Bar Shooting Remains at Large: 'Believed to Be Armed and Extremely Dangerous' By Toria Sheffield

Michael Paul Brown, the man suspected of fatally shooting four people at The Owl Bar in Montana, remains at large and is “believed to be armed and extremely dangerous,” authorities said.

In a press briefing on the evening of the Friday, Aug. 1, shooting, Lee Johnson with the Montana Department of Justice said that Brown remained at large as of 10 p.m. local time. He added that law enforcement had “located the white Ford F-150 that Brown fled the scene in,” though Brown was not located in or around the vehicle.

Authorities are now focusing their search for Brown — described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 170 lbs., with brown hair and blue eyes — in the mountains near Stumptown Road “just west of Anaconda.”

While law enforcement has not received reports of Brown harming more people, Johnson said that Brown is “believed to be armed and extremely dangerous.” He added that residents in the area have been notified to stay inside “on high alert” and to not engage with Brown.

“This is a small, tight-knit community that has been harmed by the heinous actions of one individual who does not represent what this community or Montanans stand for,” Johnson said in his statement.

In an update shared on Saturday, Aug. 2, the Montana Department of Justice said the search for Brown is “still focused on the area off of Stumptown Road, both on the ground and in the air, and includes multiple local, state, and federal agencies.”

The department also confirmed that a bartender and three bar patrons were killed in the shooting, and additionally stated that Brown lived next door to the bar.

The shooting took place in the small town of Anaconda at The Owl Bar on Aug. 1, at about 10:30 a.m. local time, per a statement from the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation (MDCI).

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Brown is an Army veteran who served in Iraq between 2004 and 2005, according to an Army spokesperson, per The New York Times. He also served in the Montana National Guard for about two years until March 2008, according to the outlet.

Two relatives of Brown, who spoke to the outlet under the condition of anonymity, said that Brown suffered from severe mental health problems, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. 

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte wrote on Facebook that he’s “closely monitoring the situation involving an active shooter in Anaconda.”