Four shot dead at Montana bar as suspected gunman remains on run
The shooting happened around 10:30 a.m. at The Owl Bar on Friday, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation told the Associated Press. Officials have identified the suspect as 45-year-old Michael Brown.
He is believed to be armed and extremely dangerous, according to the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center. Brown was last seen near Stump Town, west of Anaconda. More than a dozen officers are in the area and appear to be searching for him in the woods, the AP reports.
The Granite County Sheriff’s Office said the suspected gunman is wearing a “tye dyed shirt, blue jeans and an orange bandana.” He was last seen driving a 2007 white Ford F-150 pickup with Montana license plates, Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement told NBC Montana.
Officers from Denver’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are responding. The FBI is also assisting, a spokesperson for the agency’s Salt Lake City office told the AP.
Police have identified 45-year-old Michael Brown as a suspect in the Anaconda, Montana shooting (Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center)
A SWAT team cleared the suspect’s house in Anaconda, the sheriff’s office said at 1:30pm local time.
The Montana Highway Patrol has urged people to stay away from the area.
"There is a heavy law enforcement presence west of Anaconda near Stumptown Road and Anderson Ranch Loop Road,” the agency said. “Authorities are searching for a suspect believed to be armed.”
The sheriff’s office said troopers stopped a driver in a white F-150 while searching for the suspect. The driver was not the suspected gunman.
Police respond to an shooting in Anaconda, Montana (MTN News)
Local business owner Barbie Nelson told the AP the incident has shaken residents.
“We are Montana, so guns are not new to us. For our town to be locked down, everybody’s pretty rattled,” Nelson said.
“It’s a small town, so we all probably know someone who was there,” she added.
“Please join Susan and me in praying for the victims, their loved ones, and the brave law enforcement officers responding to this tragedy,” Gianforte wrote on X.
Montana Senator Tim Sheehy also issued a statement on the attack: “We are monitoring this tragedy and are in touch with local authorities. We thank law enforcement for their ongoing efforts to protect our communities and pray for the victims, their families, and the entire Anaconda community.”
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