DEVELOPING: Active Shooter With Multiple Fatalities, Suspect On The Run

There is currently an ongoing response to an active shooter situation with multiple people reportedly shot.

The incident occurred at a business in Montana this afternoon, and a suspect has been identified but is still being sought.

As of this moment, there are reports that multiple people have been killed, though those reports are early and may be prone to change.

The local NBC News affiliate in Montana shared these images of law enforcement operating in the small town of Anaconda, Montana as the situation unfolded:

ACTIVE SHOOTER UPDATE: "There is a heavy law enforcement presence west of Anaconda near Stumptown Road and Anderson Ranch Loop Road. Authorities are searching for a suspect believed to be armed. Please avoid the area," according to Montana Highway Patrol. https://t.co/aqCGk3ROyS pic.twitter.com/o487mQNjoc

— NBC Montana (@NBCMontana) August 1, 2025

NBC Montana is also reporting that the suspect being sought is a 45-year-old man who lives in Anaconda, reportedly seen fleeing the scene:

SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AFTER MULTIPLE FATALITES IN ANACONDA: A shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda has resulted in multiple fatalities, according to law enforcement officials. The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Michael Brown of Anaconda and remains at large. pic.twitter.com/AEDyTKdaL7

— NBC Montana (@NBCMontana) August 1, 2025

The ATF is on the scene and the area has been cordoned off as law enforcement continues to sweep the area in search of the suspect, according to CBS News:

Multiple people were shot in Anaconda, Montana, on Friday, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said. Authorities said a suspect is at large.

The ATF’s field division in Denver said on social media that the shooting happened at a business. Additional details weren’t immediately available.

The sheriff’s office said the suspect’s house in Anaconda had been cleared by a SWAT team.

“Avoid the Anaconda area,” the sheriff’s office said. “Stay vigilant report any suspicious activity.”

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said he was monitoring the response to the incident.

The neighboring Sheriff Department in Granite County, MT issued this statement via their Facebook account with a fairly detailed description of the suspect — including the clothing he was allegedly wearing at the time of the shooting:

Here’s the text from that social media post in case that’s hard to read:

There is an active shooter in Anaconda Deer Lodge. Granite County deputys are at the Georgetown Lake / Flint Creek area. The shooter is said to be wearing a tye dyed shirt, blue jeans and a orange bandana. There is no threat to Granite county at this time.

The suspect was reportedly observed fleeing the scene, and is actively being sought nearby.

An update on the suspect’s identity, describing him as “armed and extremely dangerous”, was issued by the Montana Highway Patrol according to the previously referenced NBC News affiliate:

Authorities said Brown was last seen driving a 2007 white Ford F-150 pickup with Montana plates DTY493. The vehicle was spotted heading west of Anaconda on Stumptown Road.

Brown is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 170 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair. Officials warned that Brown is believed to be armed and extremely dangerous.

Law enforcement agencies urge anyone who sees Brown or his vehicle to contact them immediately. Those with additional information are asked to reach out to Anaconda/Deer Lodge Law Enforcement at 563-5241.

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“There is a heavy law enforcement presence west of Anaconda near Stumptown Road and Anderson Ranch Loop Road. Authorities are searching for a suspect believed to be armed. Please avoid the area,” according to the Montana Highway Patrol.

The Montana Standard put out this short clip showing that a large section of the town has been effectively cordoned off while the suspect is being sought:

Unfortunately, it is now being confirmed by the AP that at least 4 people were left dead in the shooting.

There is still very little information coming out concerning any motive or an update on the location of the suspect.

Here’s the latest on the confirmed deaths, and the specific location of the incident, now being identified as The Owl Bar in Anaconda, MT by the Associated Press:

Four people were killed in a shooting at a Montana bar Friday, authorities said as they launched a manhunt for the suspect.

The shooting happened around 10:30 a.m. on Friday at The Owl Bar, according to the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, which is leading the investigation. The agency confirmed four people were pronounced dead at the scene and that it was an active investigation.

Authorities have yet to release details about what led to the shooting.

More than a dozen officers from local and state police converged on Stump Town where they appeared to be searching for the suspect in the woods. His home in Anaconda had already been cleared by a SWAT team, according to the Granite County Sheriff’s office.

With a rash of incredibly violent shootings over the last few weeks, I hesitated to bring you “another” shooting story.

But considering the recent concern of sleeper cells and a growing trend towards political violence — and with the motive unknown and the suspect still on the loose — I feel compelled to bring you this sort of news as the information becomes available.

This is still a developing story.  We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.