Montana: Mental Illness and Firearms Equals Four Deaths

Sunday, August 03, 2025

Authorities continue a massive manhunt for Michael Paul Brown (45), a US Army and National Guard veteran suspected of fatally shooting four people inside a bar in southwestern Montana. The suspect, who lived next door to the bar, reportedly fled barefoot and shirtless into nearby woods after the attack. Residents have been urged to stay indoors and avoid the area. Brown's family has revealed he struggled with mental illness for years, describing him as a "sick man who doesn't always know where or when he is." His military service from 2001 to 2009 included time in the US Army and MTARNG and officials warn that his training and state of mind make him "armed and extremely dangerous."

Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 04:47 AM | 11 COMMENTS | permalink

This tragic shooting has reignited national discussions about the intersection of veteran mental health, firearm access, and rural policy challenges. Veterans face suicide rates 1.5 times higher than non-veterans, with firearms involved in 72% of veteran suicides in 2021. PTSD affects an estimated 11"20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and up to 30% of Vietnam veterans, though many go undiagnosed or untreated. Montana has one of the highest veteran populations per capita and some of the nation's highest suicide rates. Many veterans live far from VA hospitals or specialized care, making regular mental health treatment difficult. Over half of rural veterans enrolled in VA healthcare are over 65 and face complex medical needs, including mental health issues. Montana gun licenses in 2021: 36,678; 66.3% of adult Montanans live in homes with guns. Nationally, every eleven minutes in America a victim is killed by someone using a firearm. Dummkopf Trumpf signed an Executive Order loosening federal firearm regulations, facilitating access to guns and he slashed the budget and personnel of the VA, so Americans can expect more bloodshed for years to come.

https://yalibnan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/trump_shoots_himself.jpg

Comments

Dummkopf Trumpf's 7 Feb 2025 Executive Order facilitating firearm purchases: www.whitehouse.gov

#1 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-08-03 04:52 AM

From NYT (www.nytimes.com):

Mr. Brown joined the Army in January 2001 and had deployed to Iraq for a little over a year between 2004 and 2005 before leaving the service in May 2005 as a sergeant, an Army spokeswoman said. He was in the Montana National Guard for about two years until March 2008.

Two relatives of Mr. Brown said he had returned from the Army with physical ailments and severe post-traumatic stress disorder that gave him night terrors. They said he was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

One of the relatives, a sister who spoke on the condition that her name not be used, said that Mr. Brown would claim that famous movies had been based on his actions overseas. He sometimes told people that he was Jason Bourne, or a five-star general on a secret mission.

Authorities warn Montana bar shooting suspect could return to area as manhunt continues
www.nbcnews.com

... Amid an ongoing manhunt, Montana authorities warned Sunday that Michael Paul Brown, the suspect accused of killing four people in a Montana bar Friday morning, could return to the town of Anaconda, where the shooting occurred.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said at a news briefing Sunday afternoon that the suspect was "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 Brown is believed to be "an armed and extremely dangerous individual" and advised members of the public to remain vigilant and call 911 immediately if they see him. ...