A devastating mass shooting rocked the small town of Anaconda, Montana, on Friday, August 1, 2025, leaving four people dead at The Owl Bar. The incident, which unfolded around 10:30 a.m. local time, has prompted a massive manhunt for the suspect, identified as 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, a local resident considered armed and extremely dangerous.
The shooting occurred at The Owl Bar, located at 819 E. 3rd Street in Anaconda’s Goosetown neighborhood. According to the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), four individuals—a bartender and three patrons—were fatally shot. The victims’ identities have been determined, but authorities are withholding their names until family members are notified. David Gwerder, the bar’s owner, who was not present during the incident, told the Associated Press that he believes Brown knew all four victims personally. “He didn’t have any disputes with them. I just think he snapped,” Gwerder said.
Law enforcement agencies, including the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center, Montana Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), have mobilized a widespread search for Brown. The FBI is also assisting in the investigation. As of late Friday night, August 1, 2025, Brown remained at large. A 10 p.m. press conference held by Lee Johnson, Administrator of the Montana DCI, confirmed that Brown’s 2007 white Ford F-150 pickup truck, bearing Montana license plate DTY493, was located west of Anaconda near Stumptown Road. However, Brown was not found in or near the vehicle. Authorities have since focused their search in the mountainous and wooded areas around Stumptown Road and Anderson Ranch Loop Road, with helicopters, drones, and K9 units aiding the effort.
Brown is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing approximately 170 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair. At the time of the shooting, he was reportedly wearing a tie-dyed shirt, blue jeans, and an orange bandana. The Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center has urged the public not to approach Brown and to immediately contact 911 with any sightings. Tips can also be reported to Anaconda-Deer Lodge police at 406-563-5241. A SWAT team cleared Brown’s residence, located next to The Owl Bar, earlier on Friday, but he was not found inside.
Brown’s background includes military service. He served in the U.S. Army as an armor crewman from 2001 to 2005, with a deployment to Iraq from early 2004 to March 2005, according to Lt. Col. Ruth Castro, an Army spokesperson. He later joined the Montana National Guard, serving from 2006 to March 2009, and left with the rank of sergeant.
Community members and relatives have shed light on Brown’s struggles with mental health. Jacob Burns, a relative, told Channel2 NOW that Brown did not have issues with substance abuse but suffered from longstanding, untreated mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A friend described Brown as a “gentle soul” who shared delusional stories about still being involved in special forces operations. The friend noted that several residents had previously reported concerns about Brown’s behavior to authorities, but no action was taken. “He needed help,” the friend said. “It’s devastating that no one listened until it was too late.”
The shooting prompted an immediate lockdown of Anaconda, a town of approximately 9,000 residents located 75 miles southeast of Missoula. Businesses, including the Firefly Café, Anaconda Oxygen Service, and The Laketown, closed early, and residents were urged to stay indoors and remain vigilant. Sage Huot, owner of Caterpillars to Butterflies Childcare, described locking down her facility and keeping children away from windows and doors after receiving news of the shooting. “We practice fire drills and active shooter drills regularly,” she said, emphasizing the precautions taken to ensure the children’s safety.
Cassandra Dutra, a bartender at The Owl Bar who was not working at the time of the shooting, expressed her shock and grief. Living near the bar, she initially mistook the gunfire for construction noise. “It just isn’t real. It’s totally overwhelming,” she told CNN, noting that she believes everyone in the bar at the time was killed.
The incident marks the 256th mass shooting in the United States in 2025, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an event where four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, along with Congressman Ryan Zinke and Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, expressed condolences and urged residents to follow law enforcement guidance. “Please join Susan and me in praying for the victims, their loved ones, and the brave law enforcement officers responding to this tragedy,” Gianforte said in a statement on X.
As the manhunt continues, authorities have established a perimeter around the Stumptown area and are patrolling nearby regions, including Georgetown Lake, Flint Creek, and Drummond. Residents are advised to lock their doors and vehicles, avoid the Stumptown area, and rely on official updates from the Montana Department of Justice and local law enforcement rather than social media speculation. The investigation remains active, with further updates expected as new information becomes available.