Authorities are intensifying their search for a military veteran accused of opening fire in a Montana bar, killing four people before fleeing into the surrounding wilderness. The victims—bartender Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64, and patrons Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59, David Allen Leach, 70, and Tony Wayne Palm, 74—were gunned down early Friday morning at The Owl Bar in Anaconda.
The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, remains at large, with law enforcement expanding their search to nearby national forest land. A $7,500 reward has been offered for information leading to his arrest.
“This was a senseless act of violence by an unstable individual,” stated a state official during a press briefing. “Public safety is our top priority.”
Hundreds of officers, including federal agents, are scouring the rugged terrain on foot and by air. Investigators believe Brown, a former armor crewman who served in Iraq, may still be armed and dangerous. A white Ford F-150 linked to him was found abandoned, but there has been no confirmed sighting of the suspect.
Surveillance images show Brown fleeing shirtless and barefoot shortly after the shooting. Authorities suspect he later changed clothes and could still be evading capture.
Friends and family of the victims expressed shock over the tragedy in a town where violent crime was once rare. “This wasn’t the kind of place where you worried about something like this happening,” said one local.
Meanwhile, relatives of the suspect described him as struggling with severe mental health issues. “He wasn’t in his right mind,” a family member said.
As the manhunt continues, businesses in Anaconda have cautiously reopened, though community events remain canceled. Authorities urge residents to stay vigilant as the search for Brown enters its critical phase.
