• Former Army sergeant Michael Brown is wanted for killing four in a Montana bar shooting.
  
• Authorities believe he escaped in a stolen vehicle with camping gear and remains armed.
  
• Officials warn Brown may return; the town of Anaconda is on high alert with a $7,500 reward posted.

ANACONDA, MT (TDR) — A manhunt intensified Sunday for a former U.S. Army soldier accused of gunning down four people at a local bar in western Montana, as authorities warned residents to remain on high alert and canceled public events across the area. The suspect, 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, is believed to be armed, dangerous, and familiar with the mountainous terrain where he may be hiding.

Small town shaken by sudden bloodshed

The massacre occurred Friday morning at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, a quiet town nestled in a valley southeast of Missoula. Authorities say Brown used a personal rifle to murder a female bartender and three male patrons, ages 59 to 74. The victims have not all been named publicly, but residents have begun to grieve those lost.

“This is an unstable individual who walked in and murdered four people in cold blood for no reason whatsoever,” said Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen. “There absolutely is concern for the public.”

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Among the deceased was David Allen Leach, 70, a deaf man described as kind and helpful by his neighbor, Robert Wyatt, who lives in the same housing complex for elderly and disabled residents.

“If you needed help, Dave would help,” Wyatt said. “He was a good neighbor.”

Escape and survival concerns

Surveillance footage captured Brown fleeing the scene shortly after the killings. Initially barefoot and minimally clothed, Brown is now believed to have abandoned his first vehicle and stolen another that contained camping gear, clothes, and shoes. Authorities fear he may be using his knowledge of the Montana wilderness, where he hunted as a child, to elude capture.

Though officials last spotted Brown Friday afternoon, law enforcement remains uncertain of his exact location due to “confusion” with multiple white vehicles involved. A $7,500 reward is being offered for tips that lead to his arrest.

“This is still Montana. Montanans know how to take care of themselves. But please, if you have any sightings, call 911,” Knudsen urged.

Military background and mental health struggles

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According to the U.S. Army, Brown served as an armor crewman from 2001 to 2005, including deployment to Iraq, and later joined the Montana National Guard from 2006 to 2009, leaving at the rank of sergeant.

Family members say his behavior deteriorated after his service. His niece, Clare Boyle, said the family has long struggled to get help for his worsening mental health issues.

“It’s a sick man who doesn’t know who he is sometimes and frequently doesn’t know where or when he is either,” Boyle told the Associated Press. “This isn’t just a drunk/high man going wild.”

Knudsen confirmed that Brown was known to local law enforcement prior to the shooting and had lived next door to the bar, making it likely he was familiar with his victims.

A community on edge

With peak tourist season underway in Montana, some local officers have returned to their home jurisdictions, adding strain to the manhunt effort. The sense of fear is palpable in Anaconda, a town of just over 9,000 residents, where neighbors remain nervous and multiple community events have been canceled.

Law enforcement agencies have not ruled out the possibility of Brown returning to the area, warning that his mental instability makes him unpredictable and potentially more dangerous the longer he remains at large.

Will Montana’s rugged terrain shield a killer, or will justice find him first?

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