Manhunt continues into second day for Owl Bar mass shooting suspect; Barker Lake area closed until further notice
Michael Paul Brown, pictured in a photo provided by Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement, has been identified by law enforcement as the suspect in a mass shooting that occurred at the Owl Bar on Friday morning. He is still at large and considered to be armed and dangerous; if seen, do not approach him. Anyone who may be able to contact him is asked to call 911.
The Montana Department of Justice shared this photo Saturday morning, which the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation has released showing Michael Brown fleeing the scene of Friday's shooting.
Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement has announced that Barker Lake and the surrounding area are closed off until further notice. The red shaded area denotes the closure area.
Editor's note: This story has been updated below, please scroll to the end for new information.
The suspect in a mass shooting that left four people dead inside the Owl Bar in Anaconda Friday morning is still at large 24 hours later as the manhunt for Michael Paul Brown continues into its second day.
Brown, age 45 of Anaconda, has been named by Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement as the one suspect in the shooting, which occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 1 inside the historic bar at the corner of Washington and East 3rd streets.
In excess of 100 law enforcement officers from local, state and federal agencies are actively pursuing the suspect in the area of Stumptown Road west of Anaconda.
ADLC Chief of Law Enforcement Bill Sather stated that the suspect, Brown, is the only individual involved. Sather confirmed that the reports of an armed individual going up the C-Hill on a dirt bike was a rumor.
He also confirmed that no one else was wounded, but that there are four people who were killed inside the bar. Their names have not yet been released.
While law enforcement believes Brown is in the area of Stumptown Road, he is still at large and is considered to be armed and dangerous, so people in the Anaconda area should continue to exercise caution until the situation has been resolved. If you see Brown, do not approach him, and anyone who may be able to contact him is asked to call 911.
As to the ongoing search, agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshal’s Office, the U.S. Forest Service, the Montana Department of Justice, Montana Highway Patrol, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, local law enforcement officers including those from Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Butte-Silver Bow, Powell and Missoula counties as well as a helicopter from Kalispell equipped with infrared scanning are in pursuit of the suspect.
“We are very appreciative of these fellow agencies, it’s fantastic,” said ADLC Chief Executive Bill Everett. “It’s phenomenal how people reached out. We really appreciated that.”
The Anaconda Leader will continue updating our website, anacondaleader.com, as this story develops.
We’d like to take a moment to clear up circulating information.
As of this morning, the suspect Michael Paul Brown has NOT been apprehended.
Last seen wearing:
• Black shirt with what appears to be blue flames at the bottom
• Gray or blue pants
• Orange bandanna
It has been confirmed that Brown was associated with a white Ford F-150, but the vehicle has since been located without the suspect present. We are no longer searching for the vehicle.
Search Area Update:
Efforts are now focused on the Stumptown Road area and the surrounding mountain range. Multiple agencies are actively assisting in the search.
While Anaconda is not on lockdown, we urge residents to:
• Avoid the Stumptown Road area
• Remain cautious and vigilant
If you have any information, please contact Anaconda Dispatch immediately at 406-563-5241 ext. 0.
If you see Michael Paul Brown, do NOT approach him. Call 911 right away — he is considered armed and dangerous.
Thank you for your cooperation and continued awareness.
Also, the Montana Department of Justice provided the following update this morning on their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/MTDOJ:
UPDATE ON ANACONDA SHOOTING:
The search for Michael Brown is continuing this morning. The search 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.
We can also confirm that a bartender and three patrons were killed in yesterday’s incident. And that Michael Brown lived next door to The Owl Bar.
We will release more information when it becomes available.
Update: Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Chief of Law Enforcement Bill Sather released the following video update on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Sather stated that law enforcement agencies are doing everything they can to find and bring the perpetrator to justice. He thanked the community for their patience during this stressful and tragic time, and stated that it is okay for people to go about their business in town, but said to please use caution and if you see anything suspicious please call 911.
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