Montana Manhunt For Shooting Suspect Michael Brown Continues

Governor Greg Gianforte held a press conference today to provide the latest update on the ongoing search for Michael Brown, the suspect in a deadly shooting spree in Anaconda that left four people dead. The tragic incident occurred on Friday, August 1, when Brown allegedly opened fire at The Owl Bar, killing four individuals before fleeing the scene.

“I’ve spoken with members of the victims’ families and shared condolences on behalf of the people of Montana. Please keep them in your prayers,” Gov. Gianforte said.

Gov. Gianforte was joined by Attorney General Austin Knudsen, Anaconda Deer Lodge County Attorney Morgan Smith, and local, state, and federal law enforcement representatives during the press conference. Together, they provided a comprehensive update on the status of the search.

As part of his remarks, Governor Gianforte honored the victims of the shooting—59-year-old Daniel Edwin Baillie, 64-year-old Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 70-year-old David Allen Leach, and 74-year-old Tony Wayne Palm—by holding a moment of silence. He also shared that he had personally spoken with the families of the victims.

According to the Montana Department of Justice, the shooting unfolded around 10:30 a.m. on August 1, when 45-year-old Michael Brown entered The Owl Bar and opened fire, killing four people before fleeing the scene. As of today, Brown remains on the run.

In a briefing with law enforcement officials, including Montana Division of Criminal Investigation Administrator Lee Johnson, Anaconda Deer Lodge Police Chief Bill Sather, and FBI representatives, the governor received the latest information on the search efforts.

Following the briefing, Gov. Gianforte took the opportunity to express gratitude to all agencies involved in the search and then announced that he had signed an executive order to allocate state emergency funds to assist local law enforcement. These funds will be used to help cover overtime pay for officers working around the clock to locate Brown.

“Under Montana law, I am able to release emergency funds to support law enforcement if the local agency requests it. This morning, I received that request from Anaconda Deer Lodge,” the governor said. “While the state has already been supporting this investigation, this will ensure additional resources are available as we continue to track down this criminal. In particular, these additional financial resources from the state’s emergency response fund will help pay local law enforcement overtime expenses to continue the search.”

Attorney General Austin Knudsen praised the governor’s quick action, highlighting the importance of the additional financial resources.

“Thank you, Governor. This release of assets and resources is going to allow us to keep this manhunt going,” Attorney General Knudsen said. “This is very labor intensive, it’s very resource intensive to support these tactical teams and the manpower. Knowing the State of Montana stepped up to offset some of those costs is a huge, huge help for us.”

County Attorney Morgan Smith provided further insight into the scale of the manhunt, noting that more than 38 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies have joined forces in the search.

“Coordination of hundreds from all of those agencies has been a difficult task. They are responding to every call. Every tip. They're tirelessly searching the area where the suspect was last seen,” County Attorney Smith said. “Any call that comes in of a potential sighting of Michael Paul Brown or a suspicious person in an unexpected location, or a concern when someone has an inability to reach a loved one and a concern that they've been harmed – every one of those calls is being investigated.”

In addition to the local efforts, the Montana National Guard has been called in to assist with aerial support, providing a helicopter and four soldiers to help search the area. Over 19 hours of flight time was logged from Friday through Sunday.

The investigation, which is being led by the Montana Department of Justice, is ongoing, with local, state, and federal agencies continuing their search for Brown. The U.S. Marshals Service has now announced a reward of up to $10,000 for any information leading to Brown's capture.

Citizens with tips or information are encouraged to call 1-877-926-8332.

As the manhunt continues, Governor Gianforte reiterated his commitment to supporting law enforcement in their tireless efforts to bring Michael Brown to justice and expressed hope that the community’s collective vigilance will lead to his capture.