Wayne, Michigan — The man who opened fire outside a Michigan church packed with worshippers before being hit by a car and fatally shot by security personnel had attended services there several times with his mother, the lead pastor said Monday.
Brian Anthony Browning’s mother occasionally attended CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, but she was not a regular member, according to Pastor Bobby Kelly. Kelly, who met her son late last year, confirmed that she was not present on Sunday.
“He first came when his mother invited him, and I met him,” Kelly told reporters. “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.”
Sunday’s worship was led by children from the church’s vacation Bible school, who were just finishing their final song when the congregation heard gunfire outside.
Kelly, who was about to begin his sermon, initially assumed the noise was from 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,” said the pastor.
A livestream video shows people carrying children or telling them to get down and move away.
“C’mon, everybody to the back,” yells a woman. The woman, who was initially crouching between two rows of seats, now stands and waves her arm. “Please, everyone come to the back!”
People rush out, some ducking their heads, while others yell “Go!” and “Come on!”
A loud crack is heard, and people cry out. Those who remain run and walk quickly out of sight.
Browning, 31, had no previous contact with local police or a criminal record, but he may have been suffering from a mental health crisis, according to a Wayne Police Department news release.
Kelly said a church member who arrived late for the service noticed 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 hit Browning with his pickup truck.
“He is a hero,” Kelly described the parishioner. “I believe the Lord was leading him to do that. He hit this person with his car and drove straight onto the grass because he was shooting at the building at the time. And that certainly helped the team respond.
As he approached the church, the man opened fire, hitting one person in the leg. Police Chief Ryan Strong said at least two staff members shot him. Approximately 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 stated at a news conference on Sunday night.
According to the news release, one member of the security team was shot in the leg and is in stable condition at a hospital following surgery. Nobody else was hurt.
Wayne is a city of approximately 17,000 people, located about 25 miles west of Detroit. Police executed a search warrant at Browning’s home in Romulus, about 5 miles south of Wayne, and discovered additional rifles, handguns, and a large amount of ammunition, according to the news release.
The Associated Press sent Browning’s mother a Facebook message on Sunday, but she did not respond.
Worshipper Wendy Bodin reported hearing a loud “boom” and finding a man sprawled out on the grass in front of the church. “I thought he got hit, 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, a pastor for about ten years, had planned to preach about God’s “hand of deliverance” and His ability to save and protect. He had planned to hold two outdoor services in June when he created the church calendar, but he decided to only hold one on Father’s Day several months ago.
“We weren’t outside yesterday when we would have been,” he told me. “We were definitely protected by the hand of God, there is no question about it.”
