ANACONDA, MT — Authorities are urgently searching for 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, an Army veteran accused of fatally shooting at least four people Friday morning at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana.
The shooting occurred around 10 a.m., sending shock and fear through the small community. The Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center said Brown is armed and dangerous and was last seen in the Stumptown area, just west of Anaconda. His current whereabouts remain unknown.
Law enforcement agencies from across the region, including SWAT teams, have been mobilized. Brown’s residence has already been cleared by tactical units, but he was not found. Authorities continue to urge residents to stay indoors and report any suspicious activity.
Investigators have not yet released details about a possible motive, and it remains unclear if anyone else was injured in the shooting. The identities of the victims have not been disclosed pending notification of next of kin.
According to the U.S. Army, Brown served as an armor crewman from January 2001 to May 2005, including a deployment to Iraq from February 2004 to March 2005. He later joined the Army National Guard, serving from April 2006 to March 2008, and was discharged with the rank of sergeant.
In response to the manhunt, the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge, located on approximately 38,000 acres near Anaconda, was placed on lockdown “for safety and security reasons,” according to Montana Department of Corrections spokesperson Carolynn Stocker.
Despite reports of a pursuit involving a Ford F-150 in the area, the Granite County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the individual involved was not Brown.
The Montana Highway Patrol and local authorities have asked the public to avoid the area near Stumptown Road and Anderson Ranch Loop Road as the search intensifies.
Anaconda, a town of just over 9,000 people, lies approximately 80 miles southeast of Missoula. The shooting has stunned the close-knit community and raised new concerns about gun violence and veteran mental health.
This is a developing story. Anyone with information is asked to call Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement immediately.
