Michigan church shooter named after plowing into congregation armed with AR-15
Brian Browning, 31, was shot dead by security guards at CrossPointe Church in Wayne, Michigan, on Sunday morning.
He began the attack by ramming his Ford F-150 truck into the building before he opened fire during service.
The Wayne Police Department said he 'may have been suffering a mental health crisis' and had nothing to do with organized terrorism.
'The suspect's mother is a member of the church, in which he has attended church services two or three times over the course of the last year,' it said.
'The church security team was alerted by the gunfire and reacted quickly to engage the suspect outside the main entrance doors of the church.'
Horrific footage from a church service's livestream showed the moment that frantic families started running for their lives when an active shooter opened fire.
The bloodcurdling video showed churchgoers suddenly realize the unfolding terror and run towards the door.
Young children were seen on the stage and in the pews with their parents, before one member directed the congregation to 'get down' and run to the back of the building.
Chilling screams, 'come on, come on,' were heard as kids and adults fled for their lives, followed by a loud bang and shouting off-screen.
A spokesperson for the police department said multiple agencies are investigating the scene and have urged residents to stay away from the area.
The shooting occurred around 11:15 am, about half an hour after the service began. It's unclear if anyone aside from the gunman was killed in the gunfire.
The Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Dan Bongino, shared a statement on X that his department was on the ground providing 'assistance and investigative support' in Wayne.
The church's senior pastors, Bobby Kelly Jr., told The Detroit News that a member ran the shooter over, giving the security guard a chance to shoot them.
'He [the suspect] was run over by one of our members who saw this happening when he was coming into church,' the pastor said.
Kelly added that there were around 150 people in attendance for the vacation Bible school service. Many of the attendees were children.
The pastor said that when the congregation initially heard noises outside, they thought it was from construction.
The suspected shooter was driving a Ford F-150 when he crashed into the church building and opened fire
He said that the church decided to hire a security team over a decade ago in response to accelerated violence against places of worship.
Kelly said they felt like 'sitting ducks' without protection. The congregation's leadership is planning a meeting to put together a plan for dealing with the tragedy's aftermath.
When asked about the children who witnessed the tragic events, he said they were 'doing good' and that the congregation was coming together to support one another.
The church's official schedule had events listed from 9 am to 6 pm. CrossPointe also hosts Adult & Teen Sunday School and Kids Sunday School at the church from 9:30 to 10:30 am.
Wendy Bodin, a witness at the church, told ClickOnDetroit that she was in the lobby answering a phone call when she saw the attacker.
'It was the scariest thing I've ever been involved in,' Bodin recalled.
She said she initially thought the shooter had just crashed his car, but then fled to the bathroom when she heard gunshots.
Police have yet to confirm the extent of the injuries of those involved or identify the suspect
Bodin hid out in the bathroom with another person and then eventually fled the building to meet up with the congregation in the woods.
'I was hiding in one of the bathrooms and stood on the toilet and shut the door. We didn't know what was going on, but we knew it was bad.'
She said she was grateful to the security team and the church leaders for following protocol.
'Fortunately they got everyone out of the building safe. We did have one man for sure got shot in the leg, but he's OK, from what I've been told. So. Praise God,' she added.
Bodin added that the church held services outside last weekend for Father's Day and was grateful the attack didn't happen then.
The investigation remains open and active as authorities work to determine a motive.
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