As my colleague Susie Moore wrote about a quickly evolving, horrific report from Montana authorities on Friday, in which suspected gunman, Michael Brown, allegedly shot and killed four people at an Anaconda bar.
Four people are dead after a shooting at a bar in Anaconda, Montana, Friday morning, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation said in a news release.
Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center said in a Facebook post they are searching for suspect Michael Paul Brown, who is believed to be armed and dangerous. The agency advised the public to stay out of the area and to not approach him. Chase Scheuer, a spokesperson for the Montana Department of Justice also identified Brown as the suspect to CNN. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, or DCI, is part of the state’s Department of Justice.
The shooting took place at 10:30 a.m. local time at The Owl Bar, and the scene is secure, the Montana DCI said. Additional details about what led up to the shooting were not immediately available.
Moore added that authorities released the scant details that were known about Brown and his whereabouts early on in the manhunt to capture the active shooter:
Authorities said Brown was last seen driving a 2007 white Ford F-150 pickup with Montana plates DTY493. The vehicle was spotted heading west of Anaconda on Stumptown Road.
Brown is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 170 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair. Officials warned that Brown is believed to be armed and extremely dangerous.
READ MORE: New: Manhunt in Montana As Gunman Kills 4 in Anaconda Bar
Now, there’s word of what appears to be a major break in the shooting investigation, narrowing down where he might be hiding, as law enforcement officials announced at a press conference late Friday that they have now found his abandoned truck:
A white Ford F-150 that Michael Paul Brown drove was found, but Brown “was not located in or around the vehicle,” Montana Division of Criminal Investigation Administrator Lee Johnson said at a news conference late Friday.
Authorities are now focusing their search in the mountains near Stumptown Road, west of Anaconda, where the shooting took place, Johnson said. A Montana Department of Justice spokesperson said Saturday multiple local, state and federal agencies are searching for Brown on the ground and in the air around Stumptown Road.
There’s a bit more information about the four victims in the shooting:
One bartender and three patrons will killed during the incident, according to law enforcement officials.
A bartender who wasn’t scheduled to work Friday spoke about Brown and the deceased, in the CNN piece linked above:
Cassandra Dutra, a bartender at the Owl Bar for six months, told CNN she feels extremely overwhelmed and sad about the shooting on Friday.
“It just isn’t real. It’s totally overwhelming,” she said. She believes every person in the bar at the time of the shooting was killed, which included a bartender who was the only staff member working, and three customers.
She said Brown lived next door to the bar and would come in frequently, but noted “he wasn’t a part of the camaraderie” existing with the others.
The MT Division of Criminal Investication also released an image of the suspect, as part of seeking the public’s help in taking him into custody:
The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation released the following photo of 45-year-old Michael Brown fleeing The Owl Bar on Friday after the shooting. Officials are searching for Brown near Anaconda and urge residents in the area to stay vigilant.
https://t.co/rqUtvv5a33 pic.twitter.com/z9Kk9ezZU6— NBC Montana (@NBCMontana) August 2, 2025
Prayers at this hour for the loved ones of the victims, and fervent hopes that a swift resolution to this situation comes soon.
