Suspected gunman in Montana bar shooting incident is apprehended, concluding a weeklong manhunt
Montana's Anti-Red Flag Law Limits Preventative Interventions in Tragedies
Montana's stance against red flag laws has come under scrutiny following a tragic shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda. The incident, which claimed the lives of four individuals, including staff and patrons, has raised questions about the state's approach to gun control and mental health.
Montana does not have red flag laws, a legislative decision reinforced in May 2025 when Governor Greg Gianforte signed the Anti-Red Flag bill into law. This legislation prohibits local governments from enacting red flag laws statewide, reflecting a strong stance against any measures that would remove firearms based on perceived risk without a criminal conviction.
The law, which prevents extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) that allow temporary removal of firearms from individuals deemed dangerous, had a direct impact on the Anaconda shooting. Michael Paul Brown, the Army veteran suspect with a history of mental illness, lived next door to The Owl Bar. Family members had reportedly sought welfare checks and help for Brown due to his deteriorating mental state and potential danger, but there was no legal mechanism like a red flag law to petition for removal of his firearms.
Clare Boyle, a niece of Michael Paul Brown, stated that her uncle has struggled with mental illness for years. Brown served in the Army as an armor crewman from 2001 to 2005 and deployed to Iraq from early 2004 until March 2005. He was also in the Montana National Guard from 2006 to 2009.
The capture of Michael Paul Brown occurred around 2 p.m. on Friday. It is not immediately clear if he has legal representation. The community, however, can breathe a sigh of relief, with Anaconda-Deer Valley County Attorney Morgan Smith stating that they can sleep tonight.
The details of what sparked the shooting at The Owl Bar are not yet clear. What is clear is that Montana's anti-red flag law stance directly limited legal preventative interventions in this case, where mental health concerns and firearm access converged tragically.
Governor Greg Gianforte confirmed Brown's capture on social media, praising the response from law enforcement officers across the state. Four people were killed in the shooting at The Owl Bar: Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64; Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59; David Allen Leach, 70; and Tony Wayne Palm, 74. The female bartender killed, Nancy Lauretta Kelley, was a close family friend who helped Brown's mother when she was sick.
The Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Department did not respond to requests for records of the welfare checks conducted on Brown in the years leading up to the shooting. The absence of red flag laws means that despite repeated concerns from family and observed mental health struggles, there was no formal preventive legal tool to temporarily restrict Brown's access to guns before the shooting.
As the nation grapples with gun violence and mental health issues, the Anaconda shooting serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of a lack of preventative measures. Montana's anti-red flag law stance will continue to be debated, with advocates arguing for the protection of Second Amendment rights and critics calling for stronger gun control measures and improved mental health support.
- The media is reporting the aftermath of a shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana, where four lives were lost, raising questions about the state's approach to gun control and mental health, particularly in the light of the Anti-Red Flag law.
- Theanti-Red Flag law, signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte in 2025, prevents local governments from enacting red flag laws, putting a halt to any measures that would remove firearms based on perceived risk without a criminal conviction.
- In the tragic shooting at The Owl Bar, the lack of a red flag law prevented the removal of suspect Michael Paul Brown's firearms, despite repeated concerns from family and observed mental health struggles.
- As the nation grapples with gun violence and mental health issues, the Anaconda shooting highlights the potential consequences of a lack of preventative measures, sparking debates about Montana's anti-red flag law stance, gun control, and mental health support.
