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The former U.S. soldier, identified as 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, is suspected of killing four people at a Montana bar last week.
ANACONDA, Mont. — After a weeklong search, authorities on Friday captured a man suspected of a Montana bar shooting that resulted in four fatalities and led to a neighborhood lockdown.
Authorities apprehended 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown around 2 p.m. near the designated search area, following the Aug. 1 shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, situated approximately 100 miles (190 km) from Missoula. Officials confirmed Brown’s arrest, though they did not disclose specific details about the location of his capture.
On Friday afternoon, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Brown’s arrest on social media, highlighting the remarkable effort of law enforcement teams across the state.
“May God continue to be with the families of the four victims still grieving their loss,” he said.
Authorities planned to release more details about Brown’s capture during a news conference Friday evening.
The motive behind last week’s shooting, which claimed the lives of a female bartender and three male patrons, has not been revealed by Montana authorities. The victims have been identified as Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64; Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59; David Allen Leach, 70; and Tony Wayne Palm, 74.
The incident deeply unsettled the close-knit community of Anaconda, home to roughly 9,000 residents. As law enforcement scoured wooded hills from both the ground and air, residents remained cautious. To ensure public safety, about 22 square miles (57 square kilometers) of forest southwest of the town was temporarily closed by forest managers.
Earlier in the week, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen indicated that there was no evidence to suggest Brown had entered any cabins or homes in search of food or supplies during his time evading capture.
Brown, who lived next door to The Owl Bar, served in the Army as an armor crewman from 2001 to 2005 and deployed to Iraq from early 2004 until March 2005. He also was in the Montana National Guard from 2006 to 2009.
Brown’s niece, Clare Boyle, told the AP her uncle has struggled with mental illness for years and she and other family members repeatedly sought help.
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