Anaconda, Montana — Authorities are scouring the mountains outside Anaconda for a man they say walked into a neighborhood bar Friday morning and fatally shot four people before vanishing into the wilderness.

The suspect, 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, is believed to have carried out the mass shooting at The Owl Bar around 10:30 a.m. local time. Law enforcement officials say he fled the scene in a white Ford F-150, which was later located—but Brown was not inside or near the vehicle.

“The vehicle has been recovered, but the suspect is still at large,” said Lee Johnson, Administrator of the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, during a press conference Friday night. “We are now focusing search efforts in the mountainous area west of Anaconda near Stumptown Road.”

Brown, who is considered armed and dangerous, remains the subject of an intense multi-agency manhunt. Local authorities, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Granite County Sheriff’s Office are all assisting in the operation.

The Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center issued a public warning on Facebook, urging residents to stay out of the area and avoid any contact with Brown.

Authorities have identified all four victims but are withholding their names until next of kin are notified.

A Familiar Face, A Shocking Act

Cassandra Dutra, a bartender at The Owl Bar who was not on duty at the time of the shooting, said she was still struggling to process what happened.

“It just isn’t real,” Dutra told CNN. “It’s totally overwhelming.”

She said Brown lived next door to the bar and was a frequent presence, though not necessarily part of the bar’s close-knit community.

“He wasn’t part of the camaraderie,” she said, describing how the small group of regulars and staff usually shared a relaxed, familial atmosphere.

Dutra lives near the bar and initially mistook the gunshots for construction noise. When she learned the Owl Bar was the scene of a mass shooting, she didn’t believe it at first.

“It never occurred to me that anybody was hurt,” she said. “It’s the Owl—it’s like a little family in there.”

Dutra believes everyone inside the bar at the time of the shooting was killed, including the sole bartender on shift and three patrons.

David Gwerder, owner of The Owl Bar, echoed the disbelief. Speaking with the Associated Press, Gwerder said he was unaware of any conflicts between Brown and the victims.

“He knew everybody that was in that bar. I guarantee you that,” Gwerder said. “He didn’t have any running dispute with any of them. I just think he snapped.”

A Community on Edge

The shocking violence has rattled the small Montana community. Governor Greg Gianforte posted on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “We are praying for the victims, their loved ones, and the brave law enforcement officers responding to this senseless act of violence.”

Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke also issued a public safety advisory, urging residents near the Anaconda area to “stay inside and lock their doors.”

The Owl Bar, located in downtown Anaconda, is a popular local watering hole where neighbors gather and community ties run deep. Now, its name is etched into the grim ledger of mass shootings in America—one of at least 256 so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Unanswered Questions

Authorities have not released details about the motive behind the shooting. The FBI and ATF are expected to assist in tracing the firearm used and determining whether Brown had a criminal history or mental health issues.

A photo of Brown was released by the Granite County Sheriff’s Office, showing a middle-aged white male with light-colored hair. He is considered “extremely dangerous,” officials say, and may be attempting to evade detection by navigating remote terrain.

“This is an active investigation, and we’re doing everything we can to bring him into custody,” Johnson said.

As the search intensifies in the rugged Montana wilderness, residents wait with unease, haunted by tragedy and hoping for swift justice.

“We may never know what flipped that switch in him,” Dutra said. “But I just want everyone to remember the people we lost. They were kind, they were family. They didn’t deserve this.”