Man’s Mother Belongs to Church Where He Opened Fire and Was Fatally Shot, According to Police

WAYNE, Mich. – A man opened fire outside a Michigan church crowded with worshippers and was subsequently hit by a vehicle and fatally shot by security personnel. The attacker had attended the church a couple of times over the past year and his mother is a congregation member, according to police.

The shooter, identified as 31-year-old Brian Anthony Browning, had no prior interactions with local law enforcement or a criminal record, but he may have been experiencing a mental health crisis, stated the Wayne Police Department in a news release.

During a Sunday morning service at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, attendees noticed the shooter driving erratically. He then got out of his vehicle wearing a tactical vest and armed with a rifle and handgun, detailed police Chief Ryan Strong at a press briefing later that evening.

The man began firing as he approached the church, striking one person in the leg. A parishioner driving a pickup 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, 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 (40 kilometers) 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 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of Wayne, found additional rifles, several more handguns and a large amount of ammunition, the news release said.

Browning’s mother did not respond to a Facebook message sent Sunday by The Associated Press.

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,” 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.

Messages left by the AP on Sunday on voicemail and a Facebook page for the church were not immediately returned.

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Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Associated Press journalists Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.