Authorities Bear Down in Search for Iraq War Veteran Accused of Killing Four in Montana Bar
A relative says the suspect suffers from schizophrenia and was cut off from help with prescriptions by the Veterans Administration.
Authorities are searching the mountains in Montana for an Iraq War veteran who they say killed four people in a bar before fleeing the scene barefoot and shirtless.
The shooting took place Friday in The Owl Bar in the small town of Anaconda. The Montana Department of Justice says Michael Brown killed a bartender and three patrons. Authorities confirmed that he lived next door to the establishment but didnât release a possible motive.
Authorities released a photo on Saturday which they say shows Mr. Brown fleeing the bar. They say he drove off in a white F-150 pickup truck that was later found abandoned.
Law enforcement was searching both on the ground and in the air on Saturday. Mr. Brown is considered armed and dangerous.
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Division issued an emergency closure of the Garrity Mountain wildlife area on Saturday due to the search.
A family member of Mr. Brown says he suffers from schizophrenia and sometimes has delusions of being a time traveler. Mr. Brownâs niece, Clare Boyle, said he also had PTSD from his time serving in the Army.
âMy heart breaks for this town,â Ms. Boyle told MTN News. âThere is no amount of apology or words that could ever describe how sorry I am and how I feel for these families, my own included.â
An Army spokeswoman told the outlet that Mr. Brown served as an armor crewman from 2001 to 2005 and was deployed to Iraq from early 2004 until March 2005.
Ms. Boyle says the Montana VA told Mr. Brown that he no longer qualified for assistance or help obtaining prescriptions. She added that the Montana State Hospital said it couldnât commit him without a court order. VA officials in Montana and Washington D.C. did not immediately respond to the New York Sunâs request for comment.
The police chief of Anaconda, Bill Sather, released an update via video on Saturday speaking of a âstressful and tragic timeâ for the community. Mr. Sather told residents they could go about their business in town but to use caution and call 911 if they saw anything suspicious.
The names of the victims had not been released by Saturday afternoon.
