A 31-year-old man was fatally shot by church staff after opening fire outside a suburban Michigan church during a children’s Vacation Bible School performance Sunday.
One security guard was injured in the incident, which unfolded around 11 a.m. at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne. The gunman has been identified as Brian Browning, who investigators say attended the church with his mother.
Browning, who was wearing a tactical vest and carrying both an AR-15 style rifle and a handgun with more than a dozen fully loaded magazines, arrived at the church after driving erratically in the area, WXYZ reports. He didn’t have any prior criminal history.
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Church staff first noticed his behavior near the church’s parking lot. He exited his vehicle armed and began shooting in the direction of the church, where children were performing on stage.
A parishioner attempted to stop the man by striking him with a vehicle. The suspect responded by shooting at the vehicle multiple times. As the confrontation escalated, two members of the church’s staff returned fire and fatally shot the man.
A church security guard was hit twice in the leg during the exchange and was taken to a local hospital. His injuries were described as non-life-threatening, and he was awaiting surgery Sunday night, according to NBC News.
Police later clarified that the guard did not shoot the gunman, as was initially believed.
The service had just transitioned into a Vacation Bible School performance when the shooting began.
A livestream video captured the moment the sound of gunfire sent the congregation into a panic. Children, who had been singing on stage in front of a campground-themed backdrop, were ushered to safety as people screamed and took cover.
In the video, someone can be heard instructing the congregation: “Everybody to the back, please, everybody come to the back. Come to the back,” NBC News reports.
Authorities say Browning lived in Romulus, about 10 minutes from the church, which is about 25 miles west of Detroit. Police said he was virtually unknown to the congregation and may have been experiencing a mental health crisis.
As of late Monday, authorities were still searching for a possible motive but suggested his actions may have been part of a “mental health crisis,” according to The Detroit Free Press.
“We had limited interaction with him prior to this,” Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong was quoted as saying.
Strong said the actions of the church staff prevented what could have been a much more deadly attack.
“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,” he said.
One woman in the church, Wendy Bodin, described seeing the gunman on the ground just outside the church entrance.
“I saw a man on the ground. I heard a big boom and I thought he got hit or crashed his car or was hurt, and another lady saw and pointed to me and said, ‘Oh my, call 911!'” she told WXYZ.
Another witness described receiving a panicked phone call from her mother, who had fled into nearby woods with her 80-year-old aunt. Her mother said the aunt had blood on her from the wounded security guard.
Officials credited prior emergency training of church staff and volunteers for their rapid response.
While the two individuals who shot the gunman have not been publicly identified, police said they acted swiftly and in line with safety procedures. The suspect was shot just steps away from the church’s entrance.
