The man who opened fire outside a Michigan church filled with worshippers before he was struck by a vehicle and then fatally shot by security staff had attended services there a couple of times in the last year, and his mother is a member, police said.
The gunman, identified as Brian Anthony Browning, 31, did not have any previous contacts with local police or a criminal history, but may have been suffering a mental health crisis, the Wayne Police Department said in a news release.
Churchgoers attending a Sunday morning service at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne spotted the gunman driving recklessly and then saw him exit his car wearing a tactical vest and carrying a rifle and a handgun, Police Chief Ryan Strong said at an evening news conference.
The man began firing as he approached the church, striking one person in the leg. A parishioner driving a pick-up truck hit the man, and the church security team locked the front doors and exchanged gunfire with the man, police said.
At least two staff members shot him, Mr. Strong said. About 150 people were inside the church at the time.
“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,” the chief said.
The shooting occurred in Wayne, a city of about 17,000 people located about 25 miles west of Detroit.
One member of the security team was shot in the leg and was listed in stable condition at a hospital after undergoing surgery, the news release said. No one else was hurt.
Police executing a search warrant at Browning’s home in Romulus, about five miles south of Wayne, found additional rifles, several more handguns and a large amount of ammunition, the news release said.
Worshipper Wendy Bodin said she heard a loud “boom” and when she looked outside, she saw a man sprawled out on the grass in front of the church.
“I thought he got hit or crashed his car or was hurt,” Ms. Bodin told WXYZ-TV. “And another lady saw and pointed to me and said, ‘Oh my, call 911’.”
Wayne Police Deputy Chief Finley Carter III said hours later that it was too early to know a motive. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said on X that bureau “leadership and support teams” were at the church and helping with the investigation.
