Gunman killed during attack on Wayne church
Brian Anthony Browning, 31, of Romulus, drove to the church on Glenwood Street at just before 11 a.m. Sunday. He left his Nissan truck and approached the building, firing repeatedly from both a long gun and handgun as he strode toward the place of worship. Police reported that Browning was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, a semi-automatic handgun, and more than a dozen loaded magazines.
A parishioner, arriving for services in his pickup truck, heard the repeated gunfire and saw Browning, dressed in a tactical military vest and camouflage gear, approaching the church. In response to the threat, he deliberately drove his vehicle into the shooter, attempting to stop the attack, according to witnesses and police reports. Two armed security guards alerted by the gunfire took immediate action and locked the front entrance to the church as they began returning gunfire at Browning, killing him at the scene. One of the two men, who did not want to be identified, suffered a bullet wound to his leg. He was transported to a local hospital and was reported in good condition following surgery, police reported. No other injuries were reported.
Responding police officers from Wayne immediately evacuated the church.
"We are grateful for the heroic actions of the church's staff members who undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large-scale mass shooting," Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong said during a press conference on Sunday.
Browning, who had attended the church “about three times” with his mother who is a parishioner, was apparently suffering from a mental health crisis, police said. No other motivation for the attack was reported by officials. He was armed with an AR-15 style rifle, more than a dozen fully loaded magazines, a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Hundreds of bullet casings were found at the scene, witnesses said.
Browning had no criminal history, police said. A search warrant later executed by police at Browning’s Romulus home resulted in the discovery of multiple rifles, several more semi-automatic handguns and a large amount of ammunition. All the firearms and munitions were confiscated, according to official reports.
Response to the scene from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies was immediate. More than 10 police cars were on the scene along with FBI agents and Michigan State Police.
The response was heightened as the shooting occurred only a day following the U.S. bombing in Iran. The Department of Homeland Security had issued a bulletin warning that low level attacks against U.S. targets “are likely.” The bulletin urged the public to report any suspicious activity.
Police said, "There is no evidence to believe that this act of violence has any connection with the conflict in the Middle East."
CrossPointe Community Church Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. said there were about 150 people inside the church attending a special vacation Bible school service at the time of the attack.
Kelly said members of the CrossPointe congregation established a security team and completed security training about a decade ago in response to violence committed at other places of worship around the United States. The Wayne church had not experienced any specific threats of violence, he added.
Kelly said that the children in attendance during the attack Sunday seemed to be doing well as members of the congregation were united in support of one another.
"We will be convening our leadership to put a formal plan in place for the aftermath," Kelly said.
