An unsettling photograph has come to light from Anaconda, Montana. It shows the suspected gunman moments after a deadly shooting that left four people, including the bartender, dead inside a neighborhood bar.
The image, released by investigators, appears to be from security footage. It shows 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown fleeing the scene, stripped down to just a pair of black shorts, possibly underwear, with no shoes or shirt. His thin frame is exposed, ribs and arms prominent, as he grips a stone wall while stepping down a concrete stairway. The photo was taken shortly after Brown allegedly carried out a mass shooting inside The Owl Bar, located in the heart of the small, mountainous town.
👀 Multiple images of Michael Paul Brown, the suspect in Friday morning’s mass shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana. Still on the run after killing 4 people #Montana #MichaelPaulBrown #Owlbar #Anaconda pic.twitter.com/ppTSHrZWb9
— Justice 4 Nicola Bulley & Others 💚💙🩷💛 ⚖️ (@chucklechopsx) August 2, 2025
Authorities say Brown, a military veteran, opened fire around 10:30 a.m. on Friday before escaping in a white pickup truck. That vehicle was later found abandoned. It has prompted an intense manhunt across the rugged terrain surrounding Anaconda in western Montana.
“While law enforcement has not received reports of Brown harming any other individuals, he is believed to be armed, and he is extremely dangerous,” said Lee Johnson, administrator of the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, which is overseeing the case. Though officials allowed local businesses to reopen on Saturday, the police have advised residents to remain cautious. The names of the victims have not yet been released, as authorities work to notify the families.
“This is a small, tight-knit community that has been harmed by the heinous actions of one individual who does not represent what this community or Montanans stand for,” Johnson added. Brown reportedly lived next door to the bar, according to its owner, David Gwerder. Gwerder wasn’t present at the time of the shooting, but said he believes only the bartender and three regular patrons were inside when the shooting happened. He also mentioned there had been no known disputes between Brown and the victims.
🚨 Montana Bar Shooting – Aug 1
Gunman opened fire at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, killing 4 (bartender + 3 patrons)
Suspect: Michael Paul Brown, Iraq war vet, fled in white Ford F‑150
SWAT, FBI, ATF in manhunt
Residents told to shelter in place#Montana #MARK #Anaconda #paofc pic.twitter.com/J0KImiV7qy
— GlobeUpdate (@Globupdate) August 2, 2025
“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.” Brown’s military background includes serving as an armor crewman in the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2005, with deployment to Iraq between early 2004 and March 2005, according to Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro. He later served in the Montana National Guard from 2006 to 2009, leaving the service with the rank of sergeant.
His family says he has struggled with mental illness for years. Brown’s niece, Clara Boyle, told the Associated Press that both she and other relatives had tried to get him help. “This isn’t just a drunk/high man going wild,” she wrote in a Facebook message. “It’s a sick man who doesn’t know who he is sometimes and frequently doesn’t know where or when he is either.”
After failing to locate Brown in the pickup truck or at his home, law enforcement concentrated its search on the Stumptown Road area, just west of town. The search, involving both ground teams and aircraft, began Friday and continued through the weekend. At the time of the shooting, word of the violence quickly swept through Anaconda. Local business owners responded swiftly, locking doors and sheltering customers inside as a precaution. One café owner said she closed up shop as soon as a friend informed her of the situation.
Anaconda, surrounded by mountains and steeped in mining history, lies 25 miles northwest of Butte. Once a copper boomtown, it’s now known for its quiet pace of life and the towering smelter stack that still looms over the valley. That quiet was shattered by one man’s sudden act of violence, and the town is grieved and shaken as the search for him continues.
