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Authorities have released a chilling new image of the man accused of shooting four people at a Montana bar, which shows him fleeing shirtless and without shoes.
Michael Brown, 45, has been identified by officials as the individual responsible for the tragic mass shooting that took place in Anaconda on Friday. At present, he is evading capture and a statewide search effort is underway to find him.
The image was released as the public is being urged to keep their distance from Brown, who is reportedly armed and dangerous.
Police say the disheveled figure in the photo wearing nothing but a pair of black shorts is Brown just moments after the shooting.
On Saturday afternoon, Chief Bill Sather of the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center provided an update. He informed residents that while they could continue their daily activities, they should remain vigilant as the search for Brown continues.
‘The impact of a loss like this is felt far and wide in a community like ours,’ Sather added.
Cops say Brown fled the Owl Bar after he killed a bartender and three patrons at 10:30am.
Law enforcement later recovered Brown’s white Ford 1-50, but he was nowhere to be found. SWAT teams searched the suspect’s home, and he remains at large.
A new photo revealed the moments after Michael Brown, who was named as a suspect in a Montana shooting, allegedly killed four individuals
The suspect remains at large as authorities continue to search the surrounding areas
The shooting unfolded at 10:30am on Friday at the Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana (pictured). Four people, including a bartender, were killed
The search for Brown continued into the night as multiple agencies engaged in a massive effort to locate the suspect, including ground and air resources.
The Montana Department of Justice said authorities are focusing the search on Stumptown Road.
Law enforcement hasn’t released a motive in the shooting, and it’s unclear if Brown had any connections to the three patrons and bartender who were killed.
David Gwerder, the Owl Bar’s owner, told the Associated Press that he knew Brown. Authorities confirmed the suspect lived next door to the bar.
‘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.’
Gwerder wasn’t at the bar during the shooting and said he believed the four victims were the only ones inside the establishment.
Brown served in the Army as an armor crewman from 2001 to 2005. He was deployed to Iraq from 2004 to March 2005, Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ruth Castro said.
Brown then served in the Montana National Guard from 2006 to March 2009 and left the military as a sergeant, according to Castro.
Brown served in the Army as an armor crewman from 2001 to 2005 and deployed to Iraq from early 2004 until March 2005, according to Lieutenant Colonel Ruth Castro, an Army spokesperson
A woman who appeared to be related to Brown wrote on social media, ‘There is one thing I’m certain of. Mental health is real.’
‘And it goes unmanaged and dismissed every single day. There are people who search for help and get turned away at every stop along the path.
‘There are people who cry for help and show definite warning signs of crash out. This town? All this town does is talk and judge.’
An individual who said they were friends with Brown wrote on Facebook: ‘The shooter was a friend, combat veteran with PTSD and a delusional mentality of still being active spec ops! He would tell me these outrageous stories of his that were straight out of motion pictures!
‘Mikey Brown needed help! Several locals contacted authorities and pleaded for them to do something to no avail! He was always polite to everyone he was in contact with! Gentle soul, I knew him for years, and watched his mental health decline!
‘PTSD is a serious disease! I am so sorry for those who lost their lives and their loved ones who are dealing with the loss of their own! Mikey I’m sorry people didn’t listen! God Bless Anaconda.’
A massive multi-agency search has ensued for the suspect as residents of Anaconda are urged to stay inside and remain vigilant
Locals were forced to close their businesses as authorities combed the surrounding areas for any signs of Brown
Residents of Anaconda were locked down as authorities combed the area.
Barbie Nelson, who owns a café in the area, said: ‘We are Montana, so guns are not new to us. For our town to be locked down, everybody’s pretty rattled’.
‘It’s a small town, so we all probably know someone who was there,’ she added.
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte said his office was monitoring the situation and he and his family were praying for the victims, their families, and law enforcement officers.
The Anaconda-Deer Lodge advised residents not to approach Brown if they see him and to call 911 for any way of contacting the suspect.
Multiple agencies are assisting with the investigation, including local law enforcement, the FBI, and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
