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CBS News
7 days ago
- CBS News
Manhunt for Montana bar shooting suspect continues into fourth day
The manhunt for a military veteran suspected of fatally shooting four people at a bar in Montana stretched into a fourth day Monday. Police are looking for Michael Paul Brown, 45, who is wanted for allegedly shooting the four inside The Owl Bar in the small town of Anaconda before fleeing in a white pickup, which he ditched at some point. Law enforcement now believes Brown abandoned that vehicle and stole a different one that had camping gear, shoes and clothes in it. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen told reporters on Sunday that Brown was believed to still be armed and dangerous. A $7,500 reward has been offered for any information that leads to his arrest. "This is an unstable individual who walked in and murdered four people in cold blood for no reason whatsoever. So there absolutely is concern for the public," Knudsen said. Authorities released a photo of the suspect said to be taken as he fled after the shooting: Gaunt, barefoot and wearing nothing but black shorts, he is seen walking down what appears to be a flight of outdoor concrete steps. But because the vehicle authorities believe Brown may have stolen had shoes and clothes in it, it's possible he's now clothed, authorities said. Investigators are considering all possible options for Brown's whereabouts, the attorney general said. That includes scouring the woods where Brown hunted and camped while he was a kid. But Knudsen noted that during peak tourist season in western Montana some law enforcement officials would have to return to their local jurisdictions for their regular responsibilities. The search involves deputies traversing the rugged mountainous around west of Anaconda, both on the ground and by air. It included multiple local, state, and federal agencies. As law enforcement scour the wild terrain, the woods southwest of Anaconda have been closed to the public by the National Forest System. Anaconda-Deer Lodge Police Chief Bill Sather said Saturday that businesses in the area could open, but he urged caution. The victims were identified as Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59; Nancy Lauretta Kelly, 64; David Allen Leach, 70; and 74-year-old Tony Wayne Palm. They were all from Anaconda. Knudsen said the investigation has led them to believe Brown, who lived next door, was a regular at the bar and knew the victims. "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," said Lee Johnson, administrator of the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation. Kristian Kelley, the daughter of Nancy Kelley, told CBS News her mother "was a wonderful nurse, and she had a gift for taking care of people at the hospital. She was always very kind and good-hearted to her patients. She loved animals." "She just retired and just kind of did [bartending] to have something to do on a day or two. Just to be out and about," she said. Anaconda, about 25 miles northwest of Butte, is home to roughly 9,000 people. Hemmed in by mountains, it was founded by copper barons who profited from nearby mines in the late 1800s. A smelter stack that is no longer operational looms over the valley. The Owl Bar's owner, David Gwerder, told The Associated Press that he was not aware of any conflict between Brown and the victims. "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 niece, Clare Boyle, told AP her uncle has struggled with mental illness for years. She said she and other family members repeatedly sought help. "This isn't just a drunk/high man going wild," she said 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." Kristian Kelley told CBS News she knows who Brown is, but her mother "had never mentioned him." "He was somebody that needed some serious resources. He had some mental health issues as well as PTSD from being in the military," Kelley said. "I've never known him to be violent. He was a person who would tell pretty strange stories and different things like that." Robert Wyatt, 70, said he was neighbors with one of the victims, David Allen Leach, at a public housing complex for elderly people and people with disabilities. "Everybody is nervous" since Friday, Wyatt said. Leach was deaf and kept mostly to himself, Wyatt said, and he only recalls Leach having a family visit once almost a year ago. But Leach was always happy to help his neighbors with chores like moving furniture. "If you needed help, Dave would help," Wyatt said. "He was a good neighbor." David Jabarek, 70, said that a mass shooting in a place as small as Anaconda is baffling to many. He said that he regularly saw both the shooter and the victims over the course of the 20 years that he has lived in Anaconda. "We only have 9,000 people, so it's like, what the hell just happened? Everybody knows everybody here," he said. Jabarek was headed to Owl Bar less than 30 minutes before the shooting happened, at around 10:15 a.m. On an impulse, he went to run an errand nearby instead. When he came back to the area, he saw the bar was surrounded by police. "If I'd have been in there when I was supposed to be, you wouldn't be talking to me. Somebody be talking to you about me," he said. The close call is now keeping Jabarek up at night. But he said that he isn't afraid of the prospect of Brown returning. "Everybody around here has two dozen firearms in their house, and right now they're within hands reach," Jabarek said. Brown served in the Army as an armor crewman from 2001 to 2005 and deployed to Iraq from early 2004 until March 2005, according to Lt. Col. Ruth Castro, an Army spokesperson. Brown was in the Montana National Guard from 2006 to March 2009, Castro said, and left military service at the rank of sergeant.
Korea Herald
04-08-2025
- Korea Herald
Former US soldier suspected of killing 4 in Montana remains at large
The former US soldier suspected of killing four people at a Montana bar was still at large early Sunday and may be armed after escaping in a stolen vehicle containing clothes and camping gear, officials said. Authorities believe 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown killed four people on Friday morning at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana, about 120 kilometers southeast of Missoula in a valley hemmed in by mountains. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said at a news conference Sunday that Brown committed the shooting with a rifle that law enforcement believes was his personal weapon. The victims ranged in age from 59 to 74 and were a female bartender and three male patrons. Knudsen warned residents in the town of just over 9,000 people that Brown, who lived next door to the bar where he was a regular, could come back to the area. 'This is an unstable individual who walked in and murdered four people in cold blood for no reason whatsoever. So there absolutely is concern for the public,' Knudsen said. The four victims were identified on Sunday morning as Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59, Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64, David Allen Leach, 70, and Tony Wayne Palm, 74. All four lived in Anaconda. Robert Wyatt, 70, said he was neighbors with Leach at a public housing complex for elderly people and people with disabilities. "Everybody is nervous' since Friday, Wyatt said. Leach was deaf and kept mostly to himself, Wyatt said, and he only recalls Leach having a family visit once almost a year ago. But Leach was always happy to help his neighbors with chores like moving furniture. 'If you needed help, Dave would help,' Wyatt said. 'He was a good neighbor.' Numerous public events were canceled over the weekend as the search entered its third day, according to local Facebook pages. As law enforcement scours the wild terrain, the woods southwest of Anaconda have been closed to the public by the National Forest System. David Jabarek, 70, said that a mass shooting in a place as small as Anaconda is baffling to many. He said that he regularly saw both the shooter and the victims over the course of the 20 years that he has lived in Anaconda. 'We only have 9,000 people, so it's like, what the hell just happened? Everybody knows everybody here,' he said. Jabarek was headed to Owl Bar less than 30 minutes before the shooting happened, at around 10:15 a.m. On an impulse, he went to run an errand nearby instead. When he came back to the area, he saw the bar was surrounded by police. 'If I'd have been in there when I was supposed to be, you wouldn't be talking to me. Somebody be talking to you about me,' he said. The close call is now keeping Jabarek up at night. But he said that he isn't afraid of the prospect of Brown returning. 'Everybody around here has two dozen firearms in their house, and right now they're within hands reach,' Jabarek said. Investigators are considering all possible options for Brown's whereabouts, the attorney general said. That includes searching the woods where Brown hunted and camped while he was a kid. But Knudsen noted that during peak tourist season in western Montana some law enforcement officials would have to return to their local jurisdictions for their regular responsibilities. Brown served in the Army as an armor crewman from 2001 to 2005 and deployed to Iraq from early 2004 until March 2005, said Lt. Col. Ruth Castro, an Army spokesperson. Brown was in the Montana National Guard from 2006 to March 2009, Castro said, and left military service at the rank of sergeant. Brown's niece, Clare Boyle, told The Associated Press that her uncle has struggled with mental illness for years, and she and other family members repeatedly sought help. 'This isn't just a drunk/high man going wild,' she said 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.' Knudsen said on Sunday that Brown was known to local law enforcement before the shooting. It was widely believed that he knew at least some of the victims, given how close he lived to the bar. Law enforcement released a photograph of Brown from surveillance footage taken shortly after the fatal shootings. He appeared to be barefoot and in minimal clothing. But law enforcement now believes Brown ditched the vehicle he escaped in and stole a different one that had camping gear, shoes and clothes in it — leaving open the possibility that Brown is now clothed. The last time that law enforcement saw Brown was on Friday afternoon, but there was 'some confusion' because there were multiple white vehicles involved, Knudsen said. There is a $7,500 reward for any information that leads to Brown's capture. 'This is still Montana. Montanans know how to take care of themselves. But please, if you have any sightings, call 911,' Knudsen said. (AP)
The Hill
03-07-2025
- Science
- The Hill
Thousands of US counties have increased their tree cover
Newly released data shows that 60 percent of counties throughout the U.S. have increased the number of trees in their area. Between 2000 and 2020, data found a mean increase of 8.15 percent tree cover across 1,836 counties, which experts say will help the country beat the heat and breathe cleaner air. The Midwest region saw the highest increase, but counties home to some of the most populated metro areas, like Brooklyn, N.Y., and Detroit, also saw small gains. Lea County, N.M., is one of the 25 largest counties in the U.S. by land area, and it experienced a 1,600 percent increase in forest canopy. Other places with a significant increase in forest canopy include Florida's Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. Tree cover performs many functions in the environment and increases biodiversity in wooded areas. A new study also shows it may help detect volcano eruptions. With human development being a major cause of tree loss across the U.S., many states have committed to planting more trees to make up for it, including Wisconsin, Hawaii and Maryland. But it comes after the Trump administration announced plans last month to strip protections that prevent logging on nearly 59 million acres of National Forest System lands.
Newsweek
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
59 Million Acres of National Forests Opened Up for Logging
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, removing longstanding federal protections that barred road construction and logging on nearly 59 million acres of national forest land. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the decision at a meeting of the Western Governors' Association in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Monday. The move will end over two decades of restrictions, immediately permitting road building and timber harvest in undeveloped stretches of federal forests—including vast tracts in Alaska, Utah and Montana. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, center, announced during a meeting of the Western Governors' Association in Santa Fe on June 23, that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, center, announced during a meeting of the Western Governors' Association in Santa Fe on June 23, that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule. USDA Why It Matters The elimination of the rule will affect almost 30 percent of all National Forest System lands, with critics warning of harm to wildlife, water quality and habitats. Supporters, including several Western state officials, said lifting the restrictions would improve wildfire management and boost rural economies. The decision reflected broader Trump administration efforts to promote domestic resource extraction and deregulation. What To Know The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, enacted in 2001, had prohibited road construction and timber harvest on approximately 58.5 million acres of designated "roadless" national forests. The USDA called the rule "outdated" and argued that it contradicted Congressional intent and limited forest managers' ability to address threats like wildfire. The USDA stated that nearly 60 percent of Utah's national forest lands, 58 percent of Montana's, and 92 percent of Alaska's Tongass National Forest had been subject to Roadless Rule protections, inhibiting what the agency described as "properly managed" forest activity, such as fire prevention and responsible timber production. Rollins said the rule posed "real harm" to millions of forest acres and claimed it resulted in a 25 percent decrease in forestry sector economic development in Utah, according to the state's own estimate. She further argued that the change would open "a new era of consistency and sustainability" for forest management, with local managers making "the best decisions to protect people, communities, and resources based on their unique local conditions." Environmental organizations denounced the rollback, warning that it exposed nearly 60 million acres of wildlands—some of the nation's largest roadless and old-growth forests—to logging, road construction and environmental degradation. A file photo shows Misty Fjords National Monument, part of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, on July 11, 2012. A file photo shows Misty Fjords National Monument, part of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, on July 11, 2012. Jon Elswick/AP Photo What People Are Saying Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said: "Once again, President Trump is removing absurd obstacles to common sense management of our natural resources by rescinding the overly restrictive roadless rule. This move opens a new era of consistency and sustainability for our nation's forests. It is abundantly clear that properly managing our forests preserves them from devastating fires and allows future generations of Americans to enjoy and reap the benefits of this great land." Republican Alaska Representative Nick Begich wrote on X: "Alaska's forests are one of our state's greatest natural assets and the "Roadless Rule" has long stifled responsible forest management, blocked access to critical resources, and halted economic opportunity particularly in Alaska, where 92% of the Tongass National Forest was off-limits. The Roadless Rule was never about responsible conservation; it was about bureaucratic overreach that undermined the ability of local forest managers and communities to effectively manage their lands." Alex Craven, forest campaign manager for environmental organization Sierra Club, said in a statement: "Once again, the Trump administration is ignoring the voices of millions of Americans to pursue a corporate giveaway for his billionaire buddies. Stripping our national forests of roadless rule protections will put close to 60 million acres of wildlands across the country on the chopping block." What Happens Next A formal notice rescinding the Roadless Rule is expected from the USDA in the coming weeks. Legal challenges and further policy debates over federal forest management are anticipated.
The Verge
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Verge
The US is stripping its forests of decades-old protections
The Trump administration wants to open up tens of millions of acres of national forest to development. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced yesterday that it's rescinding a landmark rule that prevents road construction and timber harvesting in the last unfragmented stretches of national forest. The USDA says the move will boost timber production, while helping officials manage wildfire-prone lands. Conservation groups say this is simply an industry-led land grab that could level pristine forests and increase the risk of wildfire. 'Make no mistake: this administration will do whatever it takes to sell off the places where we hunt, fish, recreate, and partake in long-standing traditions,' Andy Moderow, senior policy director at Alaska Wilderness League, said in a press statement. 'Today's announcement is a clear attempt to sell off public land for industrial-scale clear-cut logging.' 'A clear attempt to sell off public land for industrial-scale clear-cut logging' In a move that's likely to face legal challenges, the USDA is tossing out the 'Roadless Rule' that Bill Clinton enacted back in 2001 and that Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins called 'overly restrictive' in a press release. It follows an executive order signed by President Trump in March to expand timber production. Getting rid of the roadless rule will remove protections from nearly 59 million acres of forest, or roughly 30 percent of National Forest System lands, according to the USDA. Some forests will be more affected than others. The rule impacts 92 percent of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the largest old growth forest still standing in the US. It's been one of the most contested areas since Trump first rolled back roadless rule protections there in 2020 before the Biden administration restored them a few years later. The USDA also claims that 28 million acres of the land previously protected under the roadless rule are 'at high or very high risk of wildfire.' But allowing new roads and logging there won't lessen wildfire risk — it'll do the opposite by raising the risk of forest mismanagement, environmental groups contend. 'When they say we will open [forests] up for responsible management. I almost laughed out loud when I saw that … It's the height of irresponsible management to open them up to roads and logging,' says Randi Spivak, public lands policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Wildfires are likely to start near roads, she explains — perhaps from a stray cigarette butt or campfire. Loggers also target mature trees that tend to be more resilient to fires rather than smaller saplings that are more likely to burn. 'It's also a very nuanced topic, and it's completely being exploited by the timber industry and the current administration,' Spivak tells The Verge. There's an old-school mentality to firefighting that the logging industry has advocated for historically to preserve areas where they harvest timber. The old strategy has been to suppress any kind of forest fire, which has inadvertently exacerbated blazes in certain forests by allowing dry vegetation to build up into loads of tinder. In parts of the western US, fires are a natural part of the landscape that clear out debris that might otherwise turn into fuel for larger infernos. The timber industry has also promoted the idea that thinning forests will lessen fire risk. 'Thin is just a euphemism for log, it sounds nicer, but there's no difference on the ground,' Spivak says. More modern fire-busting tactics emphasize making communities less likely to burn. Climate change has led to more widespread wildfires in the western US, but tackling that problem is another protective measure that the Trump administration has thrown by the wayside. Trees and plants naturally store carbon dioxide, keeping the greenhouse gas from heating our planet. Forests in the US sequester more than 800 million metric tons of carbon each year. But they can only keep doing that if they stay intact.
