Four people were killed Friday morning when a gunman opened fire at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana, before fleeing the scene and prompting a massive manhunt and town-wide lockdown by afternoon.The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation confirmed the shooting occurred around 10.30 am. All four victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities swiftly launched a search operation, concentrating efforts in the nearby Stump Town area west of Anaconda, reported AP. More than a dozen local and state law enforcement officers, supported by helicopters, drones, and K9 units, joined the manhunt. The suspect, identified as Michael Paul Brown, lived next door to the bar and his home was cleared by a Swat team shortly after the incident.
Who is Michael Brown ?
45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, also known as “Mike,” is a resident of Anaconda. He was reportedly last seen wearing a tie-dyed shirt, blue jeans, and an orange bandana.Authorities say Brown is believed to be armed with a .762-caliber assault rifle and was last seen driving a 2007 white Ford F-150 pickup truck with Montana license plate DTY493. He was seen heading to the Stump Town area, which is just west of Anaconda.Brown is considered armed and extremely dangerous. Officials are urging the public not to approach him and to report any sightings to 911 immediately.The owner of the Firefly Café in Anaconda said she closed her shop around 11 am Friday after a friend informed her about the shooting. Two hours later, she was still waiting for the official all-clear to reopen.“It’s a small town, so we all probably know someone who was there” at the shooting, she said as quoted by AP.Anaconda, a historic mining town with a population of about 9,000, is located roughly 75 miles southeast of Missoula. Surrounded by mountains and steeped in copper mining history, the town was founded in the late 1800s and is known for the massive, now-defunct smelter that still towers over the landscape.
