Michael Paul Brown, the man suspected of fatally shooting four people at The Owl Bar in Montana, is still at large and “believed to be armed and extremely dangerous,” according to authorities.
Lee Johnson of the Montana Department of Justice stated in a press briefing on the evening of the Friday, August 1 shooting that Brown was still at large as of 10 p.m. local time. He added that law enforcement had “located the white Ford F-150 that Brown fled the scene in,” but Brown was not found in or near the vehicle.
Authorities are now searching for Brown, who is described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall, 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, in the mountains near Stumptown Road, “just west of Anaconda.”
While law enforcement has not received reports of Brown injuring more people, Johnson stated that Brown is “believed to be armed and extremely dangerous.” He added that residents in the area have been warned to remain inside “on high alert” and not interact with Brown.
“This is a small, tight-knit community that has been harmed by the heinous actions of one individual who does not represent what this community or Montanans stand for,” Johnson said in a written statement.
In an update released on Saturday, Aug. 2, the Montana Department of Justice stated that the search for Brown is “still focused on the area off of Stumptown Road, both on the ground and in the air, and includes multiple local, state, and federal agencies.”
The department also confirmed that a bartender and three bar patrons were killed in the shooting, and that Brown lived next door to the establishment.
According to the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation (MDCI), the shooting occurred at The Owl Bar in Anaconda on August 1 at approximately 10:30 a.m. local time.
According to an Army spokesperson, Brown served in Iraq from 2004 to 2005, as reported by The New York Times. According to the outlet, he also served in the Montana National Guard for about two years, ending in March 2008.
Two relatives of Brown, who spoke to the outlet on the condition of anonymity, said he had severe mental health issues, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte announced on Facebook that he is “closely monitoring the situation involving an active shooter in Anaconda.”
