"Residents of the area have been notified and are encouraged to stay inside heir homes and on high alert," Johnson said. Authorities haven't said what led up to the shooting at the bar or a possible motive. Police have identified the four people killed but are not yet releasing their names until they've have had a chance to talk to family members,

Michael Paul Brown, 45, fled The Owl Bar in the small town of Anaconda in a white pickup truck but ditched it at some point, said Lee Johnson, administrator of the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, which is overseeing the case. He urged residents late Friday to stay at home and on high alert.

Investigators searching for a man they say shot and killed four people at a Montana bar Friday morning have located the vehicle he fled in, but the suspect remains on the loose, officials said.