Anaconda, Montana, is under lockdown after an active shooter opened fire inside a local bar Friday afternoon, killing multiple people, according to law enforcement.
Police have identified the suspect as Michael Paul Brown, 45, who remains at large and is considered armed and extremely dangerous. Authorities say Brown stormed into The Owl Bar in downtown Anaconda and began shooting. Witnesses told MTN News they saw him walking outside with a rifle shortly afterward.
The Anaconda Deer-Lodge County Law Enforcement Center has released a photo of Brown in an urgent appeal to the public. He was last seen wearing a tie-dye T-shirt, blue jeans, and an orange bandana.
Officers pursued a white Ford F-150 connected to the suspect and conducted a traffic stop, but Brown was not inside. SWAT teams later searched his home — located directly next to the bar — but again came up empty-handed.
The Granite County Sheriff’s Office confirmed multiple fatalities inside the bar, though they have not released an exact number. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI are assisting in the manhunt, with a heavy law enforcement presence reported west of Anaconda near Stumptown Road and Anderson Ranch Loop Road.
Residents are being ordered to shelter in place and “remain vigilant” until the suspect is caught.
Governor Greg Gianforte said he is monitoring the situation closely:
“Please join Susan and me in praying for the victims, their loved ones, and the brave law enforcement officers responding to this tragedy.”
NBC Montana’s Josh Margolis posted images of heavily armed SWAT officers near the scene shortly after 1 p.m. local time. Authorities say the suspect’s whereabouts remain unknown, and the search is ongoing.
This is a developing story.