An active shooter opened fire on a church in Wayne, Michigan, on Sunday before being stopped and killed by a churchgoer and staff members, police say.
WXYZ Detroit reported that one person was injured in the shooting and the suspect was killed by church security.
What happened?
At around 11 a.m. on Sunday, churchgoers said they spotted the gunman driving recklessly near Crosspointe Community Church.
The man then exited his vehicle wearing a tactical vest and carrying a rifle and a handgun, said Wayne Police Department Chief Ryan Strong in an evening news conference, per The Associated Press.
Police walk by an idle vehicle near CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Mich., Sunday, June 23, 2025. | Paul Sancya
Police reported that he approached the building and opened fire, injuring one person in the leg.
Around 150 people were inside the church at the time of the incident. The church’s services began at 10:45 a.m., reported CNN.
Wayne is a city of around 17,000 people and is located about 25 miles west of Detroit.
How was the gunman stopped?
After the gunman began firing toward the church building, a parishioner driving a pickup truck reportedly struck him with their vehicle.
“He was run over by one of our members who saw this happening when he was coming into church,” said CrossPointe Community Church Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. He added that this allowed the security team to return fire, according to NBC.
The church’s security team locked the front doors and exchanged gunfire with the gunman. At least two staff members shot at the man, killing him.
“The church security team was alerted by the gunfire and reacted quickly to engage the suspect outside the main entrance doors of the church,” the Wayne Police Department said in a statement, per NBC.
The one person who was shot is a member of the security team, and was listed as being in stable condition after going through surgery.
“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, according to the AP.
Wayne Police Department Chief Ryan Strong speaks during a news conference about a shooting at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Mich., Sunday, June 22, 2025. | Paul Sancya
Officers responding to the shooting gave the suspect life-saving treatment, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Who was the suspect?
The suspect has been identified as Brian Anthony Browning from Romulus, Michigan, according to NBC.
“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,” said a statement from the Wayne Police Department.
Browning was armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle and a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine. He had extra magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition for both weapons, reported NBC.
A search of his home found even more weapons and ammunition.
This driver’s license photo provided by the Wayne Police Department shows Brian Anthony Browning, who was shot and killed, Sunday, June 22, 2025 by security staff at CrossPointe Community Church after authorities say he opened fire outside the church. | Wayne Police Department
The department’s ongoing investigation suggests “he may have been suffering a mental health crisis.” Browning had no prior contact with law enforcement officers.
Finley Carter III, deputy chief of the Wayne Police Department, said on Sunday that it was too early to find a motive. According to CNN, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said that “leadership and support teams” from the bureau were helping with the investigation.
