Weeklong manhunt ends with arrest in Montana bar killings

A weeklong manhunt in Montana ended Friday, Aug.8, with the arrest of Michael Paul Brown, 45, following a deadly shooting. According to the Montana Department of Justice, Brown was taken into custody in Anaconda, where law enforcement had focused their search.

Anaconda is a town of fewer than 10,000 people in western Montana.

Deadly bar shooting leaves four dead

Brown was considered armed and dangerous after authorities said he shot and killed four people at The Owl Bar on Aug. 1. Montana officials offered a $7,500 reward for information that would have led to Brown’s arrest. Law enforcement said the investigation is ongoing, and the motive remains unknown.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte confirmed Brown’s arrest on social media, thanking law enforcement and everyone involved in the extensive search effort. “May God continue to be with the families of the four victims still grieving their loss,” the governor wrote. 

The victims were identified as Daniel Edwin Baille, 59, Tony Wayne Palm, 74, David Allen Leach, 70, all bar patrons, and Nancy Lauretta Kelly, 64, the bartender.

The Montana Department of Justice released a still image of Brown, which they say shows him fleeing the scene after the shooting. Authorities said that Brown lived next door to the bar. 

Brown was already on law enforcement’s radar before the shooting, according to authorities. He allegedly used his own rifle during the attack, though officials have not revealed the specific weapon. Following the incident, a SWAT team secured and searched Brown’s residence in Anaconda as part of the ongoing investigation.

Military background confirmed

Brown served in the U.S. Army starting in early 2001 and completed a deployment to Iraq between 2004 and 2005, according to an Army spokesperson quoted by the New York Times. He left active duty as a sergeant in 2005 and later served with the Montana National Guard until 2008.