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Montana Bar Shooting Suspect Found Hiding Near Crime Scene, Arrested

August 10, 2025

Montana Bar Shooting Suspect Found Hiding Near Crime Scene, Arrested – Read full story below.

A man suspect in a shot at a Montana bar that left 4 people dead was capture Friday just a few mile from where the shot happen after hundred of law enforcement military officer spend the past times hebdomad scouring nearby mountainside , government state .

Michael Paul Brown , 45 , was take into detention about 2 pm approach the country where government had concentrate their hunt in the years followers the Aug. 1 shot at The Owl Bar in Anaconda , astir 100 mile ( 190 kilometer ) from Missoula .

Treasure state Attorney General Austin Knudsen state during a intelligence conference that astir 130 law enforcement military officer make a difficult pushing Thursday after acquiring tip that help verify they be look in the right country .

“ It ‘s not somewhere he ‘d be concealment . He was blush out , ” Knudsen state .

Gov . Greg Gianforte number one confirm Brown ‘s gaining control on sociable medium Friday afternoon , expression it was the consequence of what he name a “ Herculean attempt ” from law enforcement military officer across the province .

The community eventually would be able to slumber tonight , Anaconda-Deer Valley County Attorney Morgan Smith state , add that the instance is just the beginning for prosecutor who volition be quest to charge Brown with the killing .

It was not instantly clear if Brown had legal mental representation . Electronic mail and telephone message be left Friday with the Montana populace guardian ‘s business office .

Province government rich person not state what trip stopping point hebdomad ‘s shot , which left a female barman and 3 male patron dead . The victim be identify as Nancy Lauretta Kelley , 64 ; Daniel Edwin Baillie , 59 ; David Allen Leach , 70 ; and Tony Wayne Palm , 74 .

Brownness ‘s niece , Clare Boyle , state Kelley work antecedently as an oncology nurse and was a stopping point household friend who help Brown ‘s female parent when she was sick .

Bar owner from about the province rich person pledge to donate a part of gross sales to a monetary fund for each of the victim ‘ family .

The shot rattle the tight-knit town of astir 9,000 people and motivate the closing of a 22-square-mile ( 57-square-kilometer ) stretch of wood as government search for Brown . He had flee from the shot in a White person pickup truck that he ulterior ditch . Government say he ulterior stole some other White person vehicle stock with apparel , place and encampment gear wheel . Earliest in the hebdomad , Knudsen had state it did n’t look that Brown had interrupt into any home in the country for nutrient or extra supply .

Lee Johnson , decision maker of the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation , state hunt team found Brown at a construction approach The Ranch Bar and that he look to be “ in pretty good form , physically . ” He was communicative and able to place himself , Johnson state . Brownness was take to a infirmary for intervention and was medically unclutter earliest Friday .

Eric Hempstead , who own The Ranch Bar , astir 5 mile ( 8 kilometer ) Occident of The Owl Bar , describe an intense law enforcement presence in the dumbly wooded country over the stopping point twosome of years that involve hunt dog and drone .

“ The guy was ne’er departure to brand it out in the clear , ” he state , note that he and his neighbor be arm and ready to protect themselves .

Brownness , who populate following door to The Owl Bar in Anaconda , serve in the Army as an armour sailor from 2001 to 2005 and deploy to Iraq from early 2004 until March 2005 . He besides was in the Montana National Guard from 2006 to 2009 .

Kay boyle state The Associated Press that her uncle has fight with mental unwellness for old age , and she and other household member repeatedly seek aid for him .

Earlier Brown ‘s male parent die in 2015 , Boyle state Brown was “ a good , love uncle . ” Then , she and other household member detect a faux pas in his mental province . Brownness get down experience delusion and frequently did not know who , when or where he was . He was an devouring huntsman and keep gun in his place .

Household member had request health check when they believe he was become a danger to himself , she state . Kay boyle state Brown would William Tell government he was mulct .

The Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Department did not react this hebdomad to several electronic mail and telephone message request record of the health check Boyle state they help behavior on Brown in the old age lead up to the shot .

At the intelligence conference , Knudsen state official had no remark on whether police force had perform health check .

Treasure state is not among the state that rich person red flag Torah let family to officially request for gun to be remove from the home of people who are deem a danger to themselves or others . The province Legislature pass a measure this twelvemonth ban local government from ordain their own red flag gun Torah . The governor sign it into law in May .