Latest news with #BrianBrowning
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Gunman linked to Michigan church after shooting
Brian Anthony Browning, 31, opened fire with an AR-15-style assault rifle outside CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, on Sunday. Browning, wearing a tactical vest and carrying a rifle and handgun, shot one member of the church's security team in the leg as he approached the church. No other injuries were reported. A parishioner drove a pickup truck into Browning, after which the church's security team exchanged gunfire with him, fatally shooting him. Browning, whose mother was a member of the congregation, attended services at the church several times over the past year. Authorities stated Browning had no criminal history, and his motive is unknown, though a mental health crisis is being considered.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man who opened fire outside a Michigan church had attended services there with his mom, pastor says
WAYNE, Mich. (AP) — The man who opened fire outside a Michigan church filled with worshippers before he was struck by a vehicle and fatally shot by security staff had attended services there a few times with his mother, the lead pastor said Monday. Brian Anthony Browning's mother attended the CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne in spurts but was not a regular member, Pastor Bobby Kelly said. She was not there Sunday, said Kelly, who recalled meeting her son late last year. 'He first came when his mother invited him, and I met him,' Kelly said. 'He seemed to really have some thoughts that were not threatening or anything like that, but he definitely had some thoughts as far as hearing from God.' Children from the church's vacation Bible school were leading Sunday's worship and were just finishing up their last song when the congregation heard gunfire outside. Kelly, who was about to start his sermon, initially thought the noise was a jackhammer or a problem with the sound system. 'The third time is when we knew something was going on, because it was very close, and then one of our security team members came into the sanctuary doors from the lobby and told everyone to get out,' he said. A livestream video shows people carrying children or directing them to get down and move away. 'C'mon, everybody to the back,' a woman calls out. The woman, who was initially crouching between two rows of seats, stands and waves an arm. 'Please, everyone come to the back!' People, some of them ducking their heads, rush out as others can be heard yelling 'Go!' and 'Come on!' A loud crack is heard and people cry out. Those remaining run and walk quickly out of sight. 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. Kelly said a church member arriving late to the service spotted Browning driving recklessly and called out to him as he exited his car wearing a tactical vest and carrying a rifle and a handgun. The church member struck Browning with his pickup truck. 'He is a hero," Kelly said of the parishioner. 'I think that was the Lord leading him to do that. He hit this individual with his car, drove right on the grass because he was shooting at the building at the time. And that certainly helped the team to be able to respond.' The man began firing as he approached the church, striking one person in the leg. At least two staff members shot him, Police Chief Ryan 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 at a news conference Sunday night. 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. Wayne is a city of about 17,000 people located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Detroit. 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!'' Kelly, who has been pastor for about 10 years, had intended to preach about God's 'hand of deliverance" and His ability to save and protect. In drawing up the church calendar, he originally planned to have two outdoor services in June but months ago decided to only do one, on Father's Day. 'We weren't outside yesterday when we would have been,' he said. 'We were definitely protected by the hand of God, there is no question about it." ___ Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Associated Press journalists Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Paul Sancya And Holly Ramer, The Associated Press
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Detroit church shooter's mom is a member of the congregation and he'd attended with her a few times
A man who was fatally shot by a security guard after opening fire at a Michigan church has been identified as a 31-year-old man who previously attended services there with his mother. Brian Anthony Browning, from Romulus, Michigan, was armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle when he opened fire on Sunday outside CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, a suburb 25 miles west of Detroit, authorities said. Browning, whose mother was a member of the congregation, attended services at the church several times over the past year. He was spotted driving recklessly before exiting his car wearing a tactical vest and carrying a rifle and a handgun, Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong said. He began firing as he approached the church, hitting one person in the leg before another parishioner drove his pickup truck into Browning to stop the violence. The church's security team locked the front doors and exchanged gunfire with Browning, with at least two staff members shooting him. Livestream video of the service captured several people carrying or directing children out of harm's way. "C'mon, everybody to the back," a woman calls out from between a row of seats. "Please, everyone, come to the back!" People can be seen in the footage ducking their heads and rushing out of the building as others yell 'Go!' and 'Come on!' before a loud gunshot is heard. Authorities said Browning did not have any criminal history or previous run-ins with the police, but may have been suffering a mental health crisis. Authorities added that it was too soon to know a motive. About 150 people were inside the church at the time of the incident. "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," Strong said. One member of the church's security team was shot in the leg and was listed in stable condition at a hospital after undergoing surgery, authorities said. No one else was injured.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Security guard kills Michigan church gunman, preventing 'large-scale mass shooting'
An alleged active shooter intent on attacking a Michigan church on Sunday was shot and killed by a security guard who "prevented a large-scale mass shooting," police said. The shooting unfolded around 11:15 a.m. local time at the CrossPointe Community Church in the Detroit suburb of Wayne, according to the Wayne Police Department. "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. The gunman was identified as Brian Anthony Browning, 31, from Romulus, Michigan. His motivations are unknown, according to police, though officials said he appeared to be suffering from a mental health crisis. Browning had no criminal history. His mother is a member of the church and the suspect attended two or three services over the course of the last year, police said. Police said the suspect exited his Nissan truck wearing a tactical vest, armed with a long gun and a handgun, when he approached the church building and began firing his weapon. Several staff members from the church approached the gunman, police said, adding that a parishioner struck the gunman with his vehicle as the gunman shot the vehicle repeatedly. At least two staff members shot the gunman, causing fatal wounds. One staff member, a member of the security team, was shot once in the leg by the suspect. They underwent a successful surgery and are expected to recover, police said. The church staff members do not wish to be identified, police said. At this point, the Wayne Police Department is still investigating this incident, with the assistance of multiple local, state and federal partners. A bomb-sniffing dog was brought to the scene by the Michigan State Police and a police bomb squad was also brought to the scene, according to officials, but there was no immediate confirmation from police that explosives were involved in the incident. "Our leadership and support teams are on the ground, at the scene, in Wayne, Michigan providing assistance and investigative support," FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a statement. The church shooting came during a heightened threat environment across the country following the U.S. attack overnight in Iran that destroyed or severely degraded three of Iran's nuclear facilities, according to White House officials. Police said, "There is no evidence to believe that this act of violence has any connection with the conflict in the Middle East." Acknowledging the heightened threat environment, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement that "it is our duty to keep the nation safe and informed, especially during times of conflict." "The ongoing Israel-Iran conflict brings the possibility of increased threat to the homeland in the form of possible cyberattacks, acts of violence, and antisemitic hate crime," Noem said. MORE: Amid recent string of attacks inspired by Israel-Hamas war, some experts worry counterterrorism not a priority The attack in Wayne came in the wake of a public bulletin the Department of Homeland Security issued after the U.S. strikes in Iran, warning that "low-level cyber attacks" against U.S. targets "are likely" and that extremists inside the U.S. would be more likely to turn to violence if Iranian leadership calls for such retaliation. The bulletin further urges the public to report any suspicious activity. It was not immediately known if the church attack has any connection to the U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. MORE: Minnesota lawmakers assassination timeline: 'He stalked his victims like prey' The attack occurred about a half-hour after Sunday-morning services at CrossPointe Community Church started, according to police. Officers arriving at the scene quickly evacuated the church after learning that a security guard stopped the attack by shooting and killing the suspect, according to police. The suspect's name was not immediately released. The security guard was also not immediately identified by authorities. ABC News' Luke Barr, Pierre Thomas, Mariama Jalloh, Victoria Arancio and Jessica Gorman contributed to this report.
Fox News
6 hours ago
- Fox News
Michigan police ID slain church shooter, reveal his connection to congregation
Michigan police have released the identity of the gunman who opened fire on a Sunday church service in Wayne, Michigan. The Wayne Police Department named the now-deceased shooter as Brian Anthony Browning, 31, of Romulus, Michigan. Police have not commented on a potential motive, but they said Browning's mother is a member of the church, and the suspect attended services two or three times over the last year. "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 in a statement Sunday. Browning was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, more than a dozen fully-loaded magazines, an automatic handgun with an extended magazine and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, police said. Police received multiple 911 calls from CrossPointe Community Church on Sunday at 11:06 a.m. reporting a White male suspect, wearing camouflage clothing and a tactical vest, getting guns out of his car to go into the church. A witness told officials he saw the suspect driving a silver SUV "erratically in the church parking lot before he parked the vehicle on the west side of the building," police said in a press release. WATCH: Police ID slain church shooting suspect, say his mother was a parishioner Minutes later, police received multiple 911 calls reporting that shots had been fired, and a parishioner driving a pickup truck struck the alleged gunman in the parking lot. A church security guard then neutralized the shooter, according to police. "The church security team was alerted by the [gunfire] and reacted quickly to engage the suspect outside the main entrance doors of the church," police said. "The security team locked the front doors and exchanged [gunfire] with the suspect, who was shot and killed by a member of the security team. Officers arrived on scene and performed life-saving measures, but the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene by Wayne Fire Rescue." One person sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg, and authorities transported that person to a nearby hospital. The victim remains in stable condition after a successful surgical procedure, according to officials. Police executed a search warrant at the suspect's home and located additional rifles, several semi-automatic handguns and a "large amount of ammunition," all of which were confiscated. The suspect had no priors, but a preliminary investigation revealed that "he may have been suffering a mental health crisis," police said, adding that "[t]here is no evidence to believe that this act of violence has any connection with the conflict in the Middle East." Police also confirmed that an online live-stream of the Sunday service showed parishioners reacting to the shooting. The Wayne Police Department's investigation into the shooting is active and ongoing.
