Mt - Manhunt after 4 people shot in bar, Anaconda, 01 August 2025- **ARREST**

[OneLove]

....Honestly, in Montana, it is really a family issue. They need to step up, and do an intervention on getting guns out of hands of people with mental health issues.

But with "gun show" loophole, he could have just bought more guns anyway....

Am I wrong or did Montana not reject a statewide "red flag" law that allows for confiscation of guns if a person has a mental illness and/or is a danger to themselves or others? And to get around the fact that some local communities wanted to pass their own local protective red flag laws, didn't Montana recently pass a state law that disallows even local communities to pass protective red flag laws?

 

[Spectrix]

Am I wrong or did Montana not reject a statewide "red flag" law that allows for confiscation of guns if a person has a mental illness and/or is a danger to themselves or others? And to get around the fact that some local communities wanted to pass their own local protective red flag laws, didn't Montana recently pass a state law that disallows even local communities to pass protective red flag laws?

You're not wrong, as far as I can understand:

Red flag laws / extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) allow firearms to be temporarily removed from individuals deemed mentally unstable or dangerous.

Montana does not have any red flag laws / ERPOs; in fact, it now officially bans them. In May 2025, Governor Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 809 into law. This legislation prohibits Montana’s cities and counties from enacting or enforcing any red flag ordinances or ERPOs, and bars them from accepting funding tied to such laws. Local governments face penalties up to US $10,000 for violations.

Prior to HB 809, Montana had no state wide red flag law in force, although discussions and proposals had been presented without success.

I'm trying to understand the point of, not just failing to enact the laws in the first place, but actively preventing them from ever being enacted. Crazy.

 

[Trino]

Agreed.

I think at this point most of us have realized that more guns aren’t really the solution to our country’s issues with gun violence. If anything, there should have been better measures to prevent someone with long-standing mental health issues from having access to firearms in the first place.

Most people aren’t trained or able to react like SWAT team members to violence like that happening around them anyway.

And it's just a matter of time in a mass shooting before a patron is shot by a legal gun carrying civilian, thinking the patron is the culprit.

 

[tlcya]

'My heart breaks for this town. There 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,' she told KRTV.

She added that her uncle suffered from significant mental health challenges, including schizophrenia and PTSD from his time serving in the U.S. Army.
Army veteran who killed 4 at Montana bar is ARRESTED

not at all surprising. That was my guess. Just very very sad all the way round.

 

[swanniee11]

Anaconda shooting suspect Michael Brown makes first court appearance

Michael Brown, charged in the Anaconda mass shooting that killed four, appeared via Zoom in court on Monday, where a judge set his bail at $2 million.

www.kpax.com

Michael Brown, charged in the Anaconda mass shooting that killed four people, appeared via Zoom in court on Monday. His bail was set at $2 million
Photo at link

 

[Chimera]

Anaconda shooting suspect Michael Brown makes first court appearance

Michael Brown, charged in the Anaconda mass shooting that killed four, appeared via Zoom in court on Monday, where a judge set his bail at $2 million.

www.kpax.com

Michael Brown, charged in the Anaconda mass shooting that killed four people, appeared via Zoom in court on Monday. His bail was set at $2 million
Photo at link

Thanks for the link , @swanniee11 .

Some pics of the victims at the link :

May they all rest in eternal peace !

 

[bearfossils]

If any good could come from this, I would hope that Montana would reconsider their ban against so-called “red flag” laws. Personally, I can understand them being opposed to them in general, but it seems highly undemocratic to block laws from being submitted and brought up at all.

 

[patrod6622]

This hits close to home for me. Anaconda is 20 minutes from where I live. There are alot of underlying issues I believe that resolve around this very unfortunate situation. My heart breaks for all of the families involved not just the victims but the perpetrator as well. I think it can be said though that not allowing someone with mental issues to legally purchase and own a gun is not going to stop them from getting one if they really want one. I don't believe the gun is the issue, the issue is the failing of the VA and the states inability to help with these issues in the first place. I myself am a veteran and I have many brother's and sister's that are veterans and have some form of PTSD from service and they own guns and are responsible with them. A blanket banning isn't the answer which leaves us where we have always been what is the correct answer? If the VA denied him services the VA definitely failed him. The VA is lacking in a lot of areas for veterans, they lack a lot of resources unfortunately. I don't know what the right answer is but I do believe addressing the mental health issues is the right place to start.

 

[bearfossils]

This hits close to home for me. Anaconda is 20 minutes from where I live. There are alot of underlying issues I believe that resolve around this very unfortunate situation. My heart breaks for all of the families involved not just the victims but the perpetrator as well. I think it can be said though that not allowing someone with mental issues to legally purchase and own a gun is not going to stop them from getting one if they really want one. I don't believe the gun is the issue, the issue is the failing of the VA and the states inability to help with these issues in the first place. I myself am a veteran and I have many brother's and sister's that are veterans and have some form of PTSD from service and they own guns and are responsible with them. A blanket banning isn't the answer which leaves us where we have always been what is the correct answer? If the VA denied him services the VA definitely failed him. The VA is lacking in a lot of areas for veterans, they lack a lot of resources unfortunately. I don't know what the right answer is but I do believe addressing the mental health issues is the right place to start.

Mental health services, especially for people who have served their country or government, should be accessible and affordable too.

While I think gun laws would also help, I agree that fundamentally, someone like the shooter was let down by the state, and deserved better care.

 

[Trino]

You're not wrong, as far as I can understand:

Red flag laws / extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) allow firearms to be temporarily removed from individuals deemed mentally unstable or dangerous.

Montana does not have any red flag laws / ERPOs; in fact, it now officially bans them. In May 2025, Governor Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 809 into law. This legislation prohibits Montana’s cities and counties from enacting or enforcing any red flag ordinances or ERPOs, and bars them from accepting funding tied to such laws. Local governments face penalties up to US $10,000 for violations.

Prior to HB 809, Montana had no state wide red flag law in force, although discussions and proposals had been presented without success.

I'm trying to understand the point of, not just failing to enact the laws in the first place, but actively preventing them from ever being enacted. Crazy.

Montana gun laws are entirely based on political views. There's little to no thought about the implications.

 

[mickey2942]

Anaconda bar owner to host memorial benefit and car show for families of those slain in Owl Bar shooting

In response to a tragic shooting in Anaconda, local businesses rally to support victims' families, organizing a memorial benefit on Aug. 23 with live music and more.

www.kxlf.com

 

[mickey2942]

Anaconda shooting case unsealed

Because Monday, September 1, is a holiday, documents associated with the case were not immediately available. However, court filings shed more light on the case's status.

www.ktvh.com

 

[mickey2942]

Suspect pleads not guilty in Anaconda bar shooting

Michael Brown, charged in the Anaconda mass shooting, pleaded not guilty Aug. 3, with his trial set for January 12, 2026.

www.kxlf.com

 

[tlcya]

Brown, who lived next door, also tried to damage or destroy the bar by lighting objects inside it on fire, according to newly-released court documents.
[snip]
Bail for Brown previously had been set at $2 million. But Dahood on Wednesday sided with a prosecution request to hold Brown for now without the possibility of bail. The judge cited public safety and the mental health issues raised by Brown’s attorneys.

The judge set trial for Jan. 12.
Montana Man Pleads Not Guilty To Shooting 4 People At A Bar