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U.S.|4 Killed in Shooting at a Montana Bar, Prompting a Manhunt
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/us/montana-anaconda-shooting.html
The police in Anaconda, Mont., identified the suspect and warned that he was believed to be armed.
Aug. 1, 2025Updated 6:10 p.m. ET
Four people were shot and killed at a bar in Anaconda, Mont., on Friday, prompting a growing manhunt for the suspect across the mostly rural foothills of southwestern Montana.
The gunman opened fire at the Owl Bar around 10:30 a.m., a spokesman for the Montana attorney general said in a statement. The suspect “is believed to be armed” in an area west of Anaconda, said the spokesman, Chase Scheuer.
Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies fanned out across the region, telling businesses to lock down and residents to stay inside as a helicopter circled overhead. Residents said there were a lot of places to hide in the trees and mountains of Deer Lodge County, home to about 10,000 people.
“I’m constantly hearing sirens go off every 10 or 15 minutes,” said Brandon Baragar, 32, who lives in the area. “They’re looking, just trying to find a needle in a haystack.”
The authorities identified the suspect as Michael P. Brown, 45, and warned residents to avoid the Stumptown area, where he was last seen in a white Ford pickup. The sheriff’s office in neighboring Granite County said that a police tactical team had searched a house looking for the suspect but had not found him.
Officers from Missoula, about an hour and a half drive north of Anaconda, and other state and local agents were pouring into Deer Lodge County to help with the search. The Denver office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was sending agents to assist the police in Anaconda.
Gov. Greg Gianforte of Montana posted on social media that he was monitoring the situation closely and praying for the victims.
Anaconda is a small city outside of Butte, in an area of the state known for the mining of copper, gold and other metals in the early 20th century.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Kirsten Noyes contributed research.
Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs reports on national stories across the United States with a focus on criminal justice. He is from upstate New York.
Aishvarya Kavi works in the Washington bureau of The Times, helping to cover a variety of political and national news.
