2025 Anaconda shooting
| 2025 Montana shooting | |
|---|---|
| Location | Anaconda, Montana, United States |
| Coordinates | 46°07′35″N 112°56′32″W / 46.1263°N 112.9422°W |
| Date | August 1, 2025 10:30 a.m. (MST) |
Attack type | Mass shooting, mass murder |
| Weapon | Rifle |
| Deaths | 4 |
| Injured | 0 |
| Accused | Michael Paul Brown |
On August 1, 2025, a mass shooting occurred at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana. Four people, a bartender and three patrons, were fatally shot. The suspect, a 45-year-old man who lives next door to the bar, fled the scene and is currently at large.
Shooting and manhunt
[edit]The shooting occurred around 10:30 a.m. at The Owl Bar. According to authorities, the suspect entered the bar with a rifle he owned and shot the bartender and three customers.[1] The suspect then fled in his underwear, though investigators believe he later put on clothes.[2] Police found his white pick-up truck on Stumptown Road west of Anaconda.[3][4]
As of August 4, Brown is still at large. Authorities announced a $10,000 reward for information on his whereabouts.[1] The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting in the search.[5]
Victims
[edit]The four victims were identified as 64-year-old Nancy Lauretta Kelly, 59-year-old Daniel Edwin Ballie, 70-year-old David Allen Leach, and 74-year-old Tony Wayne Palm. Kelly was a bartender and the other three were patrons.[6] The Owl Bar's owner said he believed Brown knew all four of the victims. He also said the four victims were likely the only people in the bar at the time of the shooting.[7]
Suspect
[edit]The suspect was identified as 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, an Anaconda resident who lived next door to the bar.[8] He was an army veteran, having served as an armor crewman from 2001 to 2005. He was deployed in Iraq from early 2004 to March 2005. He later served in the Montana National Guard from 2006 and March 2009, leaving with the rank of sergeant.[7] Brown's niece said he was diagnosed with PTSD and schizophrenia, the latter of which worsened following his mother's death in 2021. She also said Brown's family was having difficulty getting him treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Montana State Hospital, with the VA saying he no longer qualified for assistance. He reportedly believed he was a time traveler and had stopped drinking alcohol because he believed it "blocked his wizard powers".[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Lenthang, Marlene; Alsharif, Mirna; Park, Kathy (August 4, 2025). "What we know about the manhunt for suspect who killed 4 in a Montana bar". NBC News. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ Shapiro, Emily; Stone, Alex; Moore, Jack; Hutchinson, Bill (August 3, 2025). "As manhunt intensifies for suspect, officials ID 4 victims in Montana bar shooting". ABC News. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ Ellison, Jake; Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas; McFadden, Alyce (August 1, 2025). "Montana Gunman Remains at Large After 4 Killed at a Neighborhood Bar". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ Yousif, Nadine (August 2, 2025). "Police find getaway car of army veteran suspected of deadly Montana bar shooting". BBC. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ Romine, Taylor; Campbell, Josh; Galgano, Taylor; Gainor, Danya (August 2, 2025). "Police close parts of forest in search for suspect in killing of 4 people at a Montana bar, investigators say". CNN. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ "Montana shooting victims named as manhunt for suspect continues". The Guardian. August 3, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- ^ a b Brown, Matthew; Slevin, Colleen (August 1, 2025). "Former US soldier is suspected in Montana bar shooting that killed 4, prompting manhunt". The Associated Press. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ Lenthang, Marlene; Park, Kathy; Cohen, Rebecca; Romero, Dennis (August 2, 2025). "Search area expanded for man accused of killing 4 at a Montana bar". NBC News. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ "Family of Anaconda shooting suspect shares his mental health struggles". KXLF. August 2, 2025. Retrieved August 4, 2025.