What We Know About The Manhunt For Suspect Who Killed 4 In A Montana Bar

The manhunt for nan fishy who opened occurrence and killed 4 group astatine a Montana bar has stretched into its 4th time connected Monday.

Michael Paul Brown, 45, is still connected nan lam aft allegedly stepping into nan Owl Bar successful Annaconda astatine astir 10:30 a.m. connected Friday, earlier fatally shooting a bartender and 3 patrons and fleeing nan scene, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said.

The victims were identified Sunday arsenic bartender Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64, and patrons Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59, David Allen Leach, 70, and Tony Wayne Palm, 74.

It’s not clear what motivated nan shooting, and Knudsen described Brown arsenic an "unstable individual" who apt knew nan victims.

The nationalist is warned that he is equipped and dangerous, arsenic officials denote a $7,500 reward for accusation connected his whereabouts.

Here’s what we know:

The shooting:

Authorities allege Brown opened occurrence successful nan Owl Bar connected Friday greeting utilizing a individual firearm and past fled nan scene.

Brown was a regular astatine nan bar, arsenic he lived adjacent door, and he is believed to person lived alone, Knudsen said.

"I deliberation it’s apt that he knew nan bartender and these patrons, which makes this moreover much heinous," Knudsen said successful a property convention Friday.

The Owl Bar successful Anaconda, Mont.Google Maps

The Montana Department of Justice released a photograph of Brown connected Saturday that depicted him wearing conscionable his boxers and moving distant from nan scene.

Kndusen said that nan photograph was taken "relatively soon" aft nan shooting. Brown past allegedly went to different location not acold from nan crime segment and disposed of his apparel and immoderate individual belongings. Authorities judge he past secured caller apparel from a stolen conveyance that was loaded pinch camping equipment, Knudsen said.

"At this point, we person each logic to judge nan fishy is afloat clothed, shoes connected his feet, capable to get around," Knudsen said Sunday.

Law enforcement officers concisely pursued Brown successful that vehicle, but pulled backmost erstwhile they realized he was astir apt armed, Knudsen said. Brown was not successful nan conveyance erstwhile rule enforcement yet arrived.

Knudsen told NBC News that aft uncovering nan car, it led rule enforcement to deduce Brown was "very apt up successful nan mountains, hiding successful nan timber, successful nan screen somewhere."

That car pursuit was nan past rule enforcement interaction pinch Brown.

"There was immoderate disorder because location were 2 achromatic vehicles that were involved," Knudsen said successful a Sunday property conference. "There were immoderate national assets that were progressive successful that pursuit, but I judge that was nan past rule enforcement interaction pinch astir noon."

Anaconda, astir 25 miles westbound of Butte and adjacent to nan Continental Divide, is portion of a consolidated authorities pinch Deer Lodge County successful southwest Montana. The metropolis and region person less than 10,000 residents combined.

The search

Local, authorities and national partners are now searching for Brown, who remains astatine large.

Officials person focused nan multiagency hunt connected nan area disconnected Stumptown Road and expanded it to Barker Lake and nan surrounding area.

At 1 point, complete 250 boots were connected nan crushed Saturday successful nan search, Knudsen said. The effort includes canine discovery units, arsenic good arsenic infrared and power discovery exertion utilized by air, drones, and unit conducting searches of camping and hunting sites.

A $7,500 reward was announced Sunday for accusation connected Brown’s whereabouts, and a hotline was group up by nan U.S. Marshal Service astatine 1-877-926-8332.

Knudsen said Sunday that nan rule enforcement consequence will displacement a small spot successful Anaconda arsenic immoderate unit return to their location bases and nan effort turns into a "fugitive location operation."

He noted it’s imaginable Brown could person died by suicide, "but we are acting nether nan presumption that he is alive, well, equipped and highly dangerous."

There is besides interest that Brown could return to town, Knudsen said.

An Army vet who struggled pinch intelligence wellness issues

Brown was known to section rule enforcement, had a criminal record, and had entree to firearms, Knudsen said.

He was described by group who knew him arsenic having intelligence wellness issues.

Shane Charles, who grew up pinch him successful Anaconda and owns different bar, antecedently told NBC News that Brown struggled pinch post-traumatic accent disorder.

"Mike was a awesome feline erstwhile he was connected his meds. He did person immoderate intelligence wellness problems," Charles said.

Brown’s niece, Clare Boyle, besides said he struggled pinch intelligence wellness issues, according to The Associated Press.

"This isn’t conscionable a drunk/high man going wild," she wrote successful a Facebook station cited by nan AP. "It’s a sick man who doesn’t cognize who he is sometimes and often doesn’t cognize wherever aliases erstwhile he is either."

He antecedently served successful nan Army, ending his work successful 2009.

Brown served arsenic an Armor Crewman successful nan Army from January 2001 to May 2005 and successful nan Montana National Guard from April 2006 to March 2009. He was deployed to Iraq from February 2004 to March 2005. He near nan work successful nan rank of sergeant.

The victims

Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64, was a precocious retired oncology caregiver who started moving part-time astatine nan Owl Bar astir a twelvemonth and a half ago, her girl Kristian Kelley told NBC News.

She had worked arsenic a caregiver for astir 30 years and picked up nan bartending occupation to "fill immoderate of her time," Kelley said.

Kelley recalled proceeding astir nan shooting done a matter from a friend, and called her mother, but didn’t get an answer. She past headed to Anaconda and soon discovered her mother was 1 of nan victims.

Kelley said she knew Brown and he was personification successful nan organization who would stock "a small spot chaotic stories" from his clip successful nan military.

"Maybe they were beautiful incredible, truthful I don’t know, but I deliberation a batch of them were embellished," she said. "And possibly he believed them. I’m not sure, but he decidedly was personification that needed care."

The shooting came arsenic a daze to Kelley, who described Anaconda arsenic a mini but secure place.

"We didn’t moreover fastener our cars outside, you know, aliases nan house, and it’s, I mean, I wouldn’t opportunity it’s vulnerable present astatine all," she said. "But erstwhile group don’t person services, you know, successful agrarian areas, sometimes this is what happens."

David Allen Leach, 70, was deaf and lived astatine a nationalist lodging analyzable for aged group and group pinch disabilities.

"He was a bully neighbor," Robert Wyatt told The Associated Press. He recalled Leach arsenic ever happy to thief neighbors pinch chores for illustration moving furniture.

"If you needed help, Dave would help," Wyatt said.