Michael Paul Brown, the 45-year-old man accused of killing four at a Montana bar shooting, has been arrested following a week-long manhunt.
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NBC News reported, citing Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, that Brown was arrested at around 2 p.m. on Friday, August 8. As per Knudsen, a multi-agency force made up of more than 200 law enforcement officers searched for Brown after he allegedly fatally shot four at the Owl Bar on August 1.
Knudsen, during a press conference, said that Brown was located thanks to law enforcement efforts and citizen tips. Furthermore, Brown allegedly carried a weapon at the time of his arrest, but Knudsen didn’t provide additional details.
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte said, “Law enforcement did a tremendous job. They’ve just apprehended this person who killed four people. It took a week because of the country he was in.”
Veteran Soldier Allegedly Killed 4
As previously reported, the incident occurred at around 10:30 a.m. on August 1 at the Owl Bar in Anaconda. The Associated Press and The New York Times reported that Brown, who lived next door, allegedly entered the bar and shot everyone inside.
The Owl Bar owner, David Gwerder, said that he knew everyone he allegedly killed.
The victims include bartender Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64, and patrons Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59, David Allen Leach, 70, and Tony Wayne Palm, 74. Gwerder added that he wasn’t aware of any conflicts between the victims and Brown, saying that Brown “snapped.”
Brown is believed to have fled the area in a white pickup, which was subsequently ditched. During the search for Brown, 16 square miles of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest were closed.
Reportedly, Michael Paul Brown is a veteran U.S. Army soldier. He joined the military in January 2001 and served in Iraq between 2004 and 2005. Then, he became a member of the Montana National Guard from 2006 to 2008.
Brown’s family has revealed that the 45-year-old man has struggled with mental health issues. Specifically, Brown was reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia, a condition that worsened after his mother died in 2021. Clare Boyle, Brown’s niece, called him a “sick man who doesn’t know who he is sometimes.”