Montana Shooting leads police in Manhunt
Police are searching for Michael Brown after a fatal shooting at Owlbur in Anaconda, Montana.
Authorities have identified four fatally shot victims at a rural Montana bar as manhunt, a former U.S. Army soldier, had extended on the third day.
The suspect, 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, is accused of killing four people after firing at an owl bar on August 1st. The bar is located in a small town in Anaconda, Montana, about 105 miles southeast of Missoula.
On August 3, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen identified the victim as Nancy Lauretta Kelly, a 64-year-old bartender and three bar patrons. David Allen Leach and Tony Wayne Palm, 74, are 70 years old. All four were Anaconda residents.
At a press conference, Knudsen said Brown remained throughout after escaping the scene. The state attorney general added that Brown used his rifle in the shooting.
Knudsen warned residents that the suspect could return to the area, reiterating that Brown was armed and believed to be dangerous.
“This is an unstable individual, who killed four people in cold blood for no reason. “I believe this is an armed, extremely dangerous individual. I am going to ask the public to be vigilant.”
What happened with the owl shooting?
At about 10:30am on August 1, the suspect entered an owl bar and fired fire, killing four people, authorities said. He then escaped the scene with a white truck.
Surveillance footage showed the suspect leaving the bar after the incident, according to the Criminal Investigation Department. Residents in the area were notified and told to stay inside their homes, said Lee Johnson, the Criminal Investigation Office manager.
The Granite County Sheriff’s Office said the Brown home next to the bar had been cleaned up by SWAT as it warned people to avoid the area. Law enforcement later found the truck, Johnson said.
In an August 2 video update, city police chiefs Bill Suther and Anaconda Dare Lodge County urged residents to be cautious if they see any suspicious items and to contact authorities. “It’s okay to do your business in town, but be careful,” he said.
The motives for the shooting remain under investigation, but Knudsen said Brown was “known” to local law enforcement, and believes investigators know at least some of the victims.
“It sounds like he was a regular at the facility. He literally lived next door,” the state attorney general said. “This is even more vicious because it’s likely he knew the bartender and these patrons.”
Who is Michael Paul Brown?
Brown served as a crew member of the Army armor from January 2001 to May 2005. This included the deployment to Iraq from February 2004 to March 2005. He served in the Montana National Guard from April 2006 to March 2009.
Authorities say Brown is 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighs about 170 pounds, and is said to have blue eyes and brown hair. Knudsen said investigators learned that the suspects had access to the firearms.
On August 2nd, the Montana Department of Justice released images of surveillance footage. The suspect showed the suspect who escaped from the scene while wearing naked shorts and barefoot, shirtless. At a press conference on August 3, Knudsen said he believes the image was captured “just after the crime was committed.”
After filming, Knudsen said the suspect went elsewhere and removed some personal belongings, including his clothes. According to the state attorney general, investigators believe Brown abandoned the vehicle he had escaped and stole another vehicle.
Knudsen said when law enforcement last saw the suspect’s being the afternoon of August 1st. He added that there was “some confusion” in the day’s pursuit, as two white vehicles were involved.
“The vehicle he grabbed was loaded with equipment. It wasn’t his vehicle. It was a stolen vehicle, but there was camping equipment inside. I believe there is clothing in it,” Knudsen said. “At this point, there are all the reasons to believe that the suspect is fully dressed, his shoes are in the way and he can go around.”
Searching for Montana shooting suspects continues
Several law enforcement agencies, including local police, former US S-Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, are involved in the investigation.
Authorities urged the public to contact the former US s-service to provide information about Brown. A $7,500 reward is offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect.
More than 250 staff members were on the ground on August 2nd, Knudsen said in support of the search for Brown. After the shooting, authorities initially said they were focusing searches in the mountainous area near Stamptown Road, Anaconda.
On August 2, Beaverhead Darlodge National Forest issued a special closure order to “ensure public health and safety during ongoing law enforcement investigation and search efforts.” Orders are valid until August 17th.
“The closed areas include the National Forest System land southeast of Lake Georgetown and south of Highway 1 at East Fork in Twin Lake Creek, as well as the East Fork to the Garity Wildlife Management Area and the Huggin Mountain area, to Lake Barker east,” the National Forest said in a statement.
Fernando Cervantes Jr., Eduardo Quebas, US TOD
