Police urge vigilance with 'unstable' suspect on run after 4 killed in Montana bar
Authorities have identified the four victims fatally shot in a rural Montana bar as the manhunt for the suspected gunman, a former U.S. Army soldier, stretched into a third day.
The suspect, 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, is accused of killing four people after opening fire at The Owl Bar on Aug. 1. The bar is located in the small town of Anaconda, Montana, about 105 miles southeast of Missoula.
On Aug. 3, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen identified the victims as Nancy Lauretta Kelley, a 64-year-old bartender, and three bar patrons: Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59; David Allen Leach, 70, and Tony Wayne Palm, 74. All four were residents of Anaconda.
In a news conference, Knudsen said Brown remains at large after fleeing the scene. The state attorney general added that Brown used a rifle in the shooting, which investigators believe was his personal weapon.
Knudsen warned residents that the suspect could return to the area, reiterating that Brown is believed to be armed and dangerous.
"This is an unstable individual who walked in and murdered four people in cold blood for no reason whatsoever. So there absolutely is concern for the public," Knudsen said. "We believe this is an armed and extremely dangerous individual. I'm going to ask the public to be vigilant."
What happened in The Owl Bar shooting?
At around 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 1, the suspect walked into The Owl Bar and opened fire, killing four people, authorities said. He then fled the scene in a white truck.
Surveillance footage showed the suspect leaving the bar following the incident, according to the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation. Residents in the area were notified and told to stay inside their homes, said Lee Johnson, administrator of the state Division of Criminal Investigation.
The Granite County Sheriff’s Office said Brown’s house, located next door to the bar, had been cleared by SWAT as they warned people to avoid the area. Law enforcement later found the truck, Johnson said.
In a video update on Aug. 2, Bill Sather, police chief for the city and Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, urged residents to be cautious and contact authorities if they see anything suspicious. “It’s OK to go about your business in town, but please use caution,” he said.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation, but Knudsen noted that Brown was "known" to local law enforcement and investigators believe he knew at least some of the victims.
"It sounds like he was a regular at this establishment. He literally lived next door," the state attorney general said. "It’s likely he knew the bartender and these patrons, which makes this even more heinous."
Who is Michael Paul Brown?
Brown served as an Army armor crewman from January 2001 to May 2005, which included a deployment to Iraq from February 2004 to March 2005, Army Maj. Dustin Ramos said in a statement to Paste BN. He served in the Montana National Guard from April 2006 to March 2009.
Brown was described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing about 170 pounds, and has blue eyes and brown hair, according to authorities. Knudsen said investigators learned that the suspect had access to firearms.
On Aug. 2, the Montana Department of Justice released an image from surveillance footage showing the suspect fleeing from the scene while shirtless, wearing dark shorts and barefoot. During the Aug. 3 news conference, Knudsen said he believes that the image was captured "relatively soon after the crime was committed."
After the shooting, Knudsen said the suspect went to another location and got rid of some personal belongings, including his clothes. Investigators believe that Brown has abandoned the vehicle he fled in and stolen another vehicle, according to the state attorney general.
The last time that law enforcement saw the suspect was on the afternoon of Aug. 1, Knudsen said. He added that there was “some confusion” in their pursuit that day because there were two white vehicles involved.
"The vehicle he ended up grabbing was loaded full (of) equipment. It was not his vehicle. It was a stolen vehicle, but there was camping equipment in it. We believe there was some clothing in it," Knudsen said. "At this point, we have every reason to believe the suspect is fully clothed, shoes on his feet, able to get around."
Search for Montana shooting suspect continues
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including local police, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are involved in the investigation.
Authorities have urged the public to contact the U.S. Marshals Service to provide any information on Brown. A $7,500 reward is being offered for information that leads to the suspect's arrest.
More than 250 personnel were on the ground assisting in the search for Brown on Aug. 2, Knudsen said. Following the shooting, authorities initially said they were focusing their search in a mountainous area near Stumptown Road in Anaconda.
On Aug. 2, the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest issued a special closure order to "ensure public health and safety during the ongoing law enforcement investigation and search efforts." The order is in effect through Aug. 17.
"The closure area includes National Forest System lands southeast of Georgetown Lake and south of Highway 1 in the East Fork of Twin Lakes Creek, east past Barker Lakes to Garrity Wildlife Management Area, and the Mount Haggin area," the national forest said in a statement.
Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr. and Eduardo Cuevas, Paste BN