Montana Bar Tragedy: Suspect on the Run After Four Killed in Small-Town Mass Shooting
A quiet morning in Anaconda, Montana, turned into a scene of devastation on Friday when four people were shot and killed at The Owl Bar, a local staple in the small mountain town. Authorities have identified Michael Paul Brown as the suspect in the shooting, and while they have located the vehicle he used to flee—an older-model white Ford F-150—Brown remains at large.
According to Lee Johnson, Administrator for the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, the vehicle was found later in the day, but Brown was nowhere to be found. Now, a multi-agency manhunt is underway, focusing on the rugged mountains near Stumptown Road, just west of Anaconda, where Brown is believed to be hiding.
The Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center has warned that Brown is considered armed and dangerous, urging residents to stay indoors and avoid the search area. Authorities have secured the scene of the shooting, but many questions remain unanswered—including what sparked the violence.
A Community in Shock
The shooting took place around 10:30 a.m. at The Owl Bar, a familiar neighborhood watering hole. While investigators have identified the four victims, their names are being withheld until next of kin can be notified.
Cassandra Dutra, a bartender at The Owl for the past six months, spoke with CNN and described the emotional weight of Friday’s tragedy. “It just isn’t real. It’s totally overwhelming,” she said.
Dutra wasn’t working at the time of the shooting, but she lives nearby and heard noises that she initially believed were related to ongoing construction. “It never occurred to me that anybody was hurt,” she said, adding that she believes everyone inside the bar at the time—including the lone bartender on duty and three patrons—were killed.
Brown was known to frequent The Owl Bar and lived next door. While he was a regular presence, Dutra said he often kept to himself and wasn’t part of the usual bar camaraderie.
“I Just Think He Snapped”
David Gwerder, owner of The Owl Bar, echoed Dutra’s sentiments in an interview with The Associated Press. “He knew everybody that was in that bar. I guarantee you that,” he said, noting that Brown didn’t appear to have ongoing issues with anyone there. “I just think he snapped.”
The Montana Governor Greg Gianforte responded to the tragedy with a message on X, saying he is “praying for the victims, their loved ones, and the brave law enforcement officers” involved. Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke urged locals to “stay inside and lock their doors.”
Nationwide Concern Amid Rising Violence
Friday’s deadly rampage marks the 256th mass shooting in the United States this year alone, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive—a grim statistic that underscores the ongoing crisis of gun violence nationwide.
Multiple agencies, including the FBI, the ATF’s Denver office, and the Granite County Sheriff’s Office, are now assisting in the search and investigation. As the manhunt intensifies, residents and families are left grieving and wondering how such horror could unfold in their close-knit town.
