Montana governor orders state support in manhunt for bar shooter
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has issued an executive order granting emergency state support too local law enforcement in the ongoing manhunt for a suspect who killed four people at the Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana. The attack occurred last Friday morning, with the victims including one female bartender and three male patrons. The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, is considered armed and extremely dangerous. Authorities have been searching the area, including parts of the nearby National Forest that have been closed to the public.Brown, a former Army and Montana National Guard sergeant, was seen fleeing barefoot and half-clothed, having abandoned his vehicle and stolen another one with camping gear. His family has indicated he struggled with schizophrenia and had sought medical help after his military service. Officials emphasize the priority of the manhunt and urge the community to remain vigilant.
Montana governor orders emergency state support in manhunt for bar shooter who killed four
Gov. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) signed an executive order on Tuesday that granted emergency state support to local police in the manhunt for the suspected shooter who killed four people at a Montana bar late last week.
The brief order authorized the deployment of “state resources and funds to provide assistance at the request of local jurisdictions during incidents, emergencies, or disasters that overwhelm their ability to reduce, counteract, or remove the danger.”
Such was the case for the consolidated city-county government of Anaconda-Deer Lodge, according to the order.
The small town underwent a tragedy on Friday morning, when a person, allegedly Michael Paul Brown, 45, fatally shot one female bartender and three male patrons at The Owl Bar. The victims were identified as Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64; Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59; David Allen Leach, 70; and Tony Wayne Palm, 74.
Authorities warn that the at-large suspect is considered “armed and extremely dangerous” after he fled the scene. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen advised the local community on Sunday to stay vigilant, as there is a chance Brown could return home. He lived next to the bar.
Montana officials described the ongoing manhunt as the state’s highest priority. The search continues into its fifth day.
“Rest assured, our brave men and women of law enforcement aren’t giving up, and I ask that you not give up on them either,” Gianforte said during a Tuesday press conference in Anaconda.
Law enforcement officials are confident that Brown is confined to one specific area, Knudsen added. The National Forest System has closed parts of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, located southwest of Anaconda, to the public while the search continues.
Investigators previously revealed Brown stole a vehicle filled with camping gear, shoes, and clothes after he abandoned his own car. The suspect was seen fleeing the bar barefoot and half-naked.
There is no evidence suggesting Brown has broken into nearby cabins or homes in the forest to get food or supplies, Knudsen said.
The officials declined to disclose how many law enforcement personnel were actively searching for Brown on Tuesday. According to the governor’s order, “Over a dozen county, state, and federal agencies and nearly 150 personnel” have been searching since Friday morning.
Brown served in the Army on a deployment to Iraq in the mid-2000s and soon after joined the Montana National Guard. He left the military with the rank of sergeant.
SEARCH CONTINUES FOR EX-SOLDIER SUSPECTED OF KILLING FOUR PEOPLE IN MONTANA BAR SHOOTING
Brown’s niece, Clare Boyle, said his family sought to get medical help to treat his schizophrenia after his time in the military. She suggested Friday’s shooting could have been prevented if the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Montana State Hospital had treated his mental illness.
“Mental illness does not excuse these acts and I can’t say it enough,” Boyle said in a statement, “but these acts could have been prevented with proper reporting and a healthcare system that gave a damn about its veterans and citizens.”
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
