Fugitive Charged with Murder at Montana Bar Remains at Large; Key Details Revealed
In the small town of Anaconda, Montana, a tragic incident unfolded at The Owl Bar on Friday morning. The shooting, which occurred at 10:30 a.m., has left four lives lost and the community in shock.
The suspect, identified as Michael Paul Brown, a former U.S. Army veteran and a regular at the Owl Bar, is still at large. Brown served in the Army from January 2001 to May 2005, with a deployment to Iraq from February 2004 to March 2005.
Cassandra Dutra, a bartender at The Owl Bar, shared that Brown lived next door to the bar and was a frequent customer. However, she noted that he was not part of the camaraderie among other customers.
David Gwerder, the owner of The Owl Bar, said he was unaware of any conflicts between Brown and anyone who was in the bar Friday morning.
The scene of the shooting is now secure, and local law enforcement has warned that Brown is "armed and extremely dangerous." They have urged residents to call 911 if they see the gunman. Anaconda Deer-Lodge County Chief Bill Sather has appealed to the public for help in apprehending Brown.
Brown's niece, Clare Boyle, stated that he struggled with mental health in the Army and was not the same after his service. She also mentioned that Brown's condition worsened after the passing of his parents. Boyle expressed remorse and heartbreak for the victims' families, noting that five families were "destroyed" on Friday.
The search for Brown is being conducted in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest near Anaconda, as well as in the area around Stumptown Road, north of Barker Lake. The white Ford F-150 truck that Brown drove was found after the shooting, but he was not located in or around the vehicle.
Authorities have locked down Barker Lake and the surrounding area inside the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. As of early Sunday, The Owl Bar is listed as "temporarily closed" online.
Randy Clark, a local resident, reported that helicopter searches near his home continued until about 11 p.m. on Friday and resumed at 6 a.m. Saturday. The Army has declined to release information about Brown's mental health history, citing policy and privacy constraints.
Anaconda resident Dan Haffey stated that the mountain where Brown is suspected of hiding is vast and has a thousand places to hide. As the manhunt continues, the community of Anaconda stands united in hope for a swift resolution and justice for the victims.
- In the midst of the ongoing manhunt for the suspect, Michael Paul Brown, in the shooting at The Owl Bar, the small town of Anaconda, Montana, finds itself engulfed in a ghastly mix of crime-and-justice, war-and-conflicts, and general-news.
- As the search for Brown unfolds, with politics and public safety at the forefront, the community of Anaconda remains united, awaiting a swift resolution and justice for the tragically lost lives.
