Manhunt for Suspect in Montana Shooting

A manhunt is underway for Michael Paul Brown, the suspect in a shooting that left four people dead at The Owl Bar on Friday morning. 

Although investigators have located the white Ford F-150 he was believed to be driving, Brown remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous.

Authorities have shifted their search to the mountainous area near Stumptown Road, west of Anaconda.

The shooting occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. local time.

A bartender at The Owl Bar, Cassandra Dutra, told CNN that she believes every person in the bar at the time—including a fellow bartender and three customers—was killed. She described Brown as a frequent patron but not a close associate of the victims. 

The bar’s owner, David Gwerder, told The Associated Press that Brown knew the people in the bar and had no prior disputes with them, suggesting he may have “just snapped.”

Officials have identified all four victims but are withholding their names until families can be notified. This incident is among at least 256 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Granite County Sheriff’s Office are assisting local law enforcement in the investigation.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte and Congressman Ryan Zinke have both issued statements encouraging the public to remain vigilant and take shelter.