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Four people were killed in a shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana, on Friday (August 1), prompting a manhunt for the suspect. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation confirmed that the shooting occurred around 10:30 a.m. and that four victims were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, lived next door to the bar. He was last seen in the Stump Town area, just west of Anaconda, and is believed to be armed, according to the Montana Highway Patrol.
Local and state police officers have converged on the area, searching for Brown in the nearby woods. His home in Anaconda was cleared by a SWAT team earlier in the day. Anaconda, a small town with a population of about 9,000, is located approximately 75 miles southeast of Missoula. The town, known for its historical ties to copper mining, is now on high alert as authorities continue their search.
Barbie Nelson, owner of the Firefly Café in Anaconda, expressed the community's shock, telling the Associated Press, "We are Montana, so guns are not new to us. For our town to be locked down, everybody’s pretty rattled." She mentioned that the town is small, and many residents likely know someone affected by the shooting.
Authorities have not yet released details on what led to the shooting. The investigation is ongoing, and the community remains on edge as the search for the suspect continues.