Heroic Church Security Team Stops Mass Shooting during VBS Service in Michigan
The heroic actions of a deacon and a security guard likely prevented a mass shooting Sunday at a Michigan church, where a gunman wearing a tactical vest and armed with an AR-15 rifle was killed in the parking lot before he entered the building. Roughly 150 visitors and members of CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Mich., were worshiping when a 31-year-old man was noticed by church personnel outside the church. He was armed with an AR-15 and more than a dozen magazines of ammunition as well as a semi-automatic handgun with a magazine, the Wayne Police Department said.
CrossPointe Community Church Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. told The Detroit News that the man was run over by a deacon in a vehicle before he was shot by a security guard. The incident took place around 11 a.m. local time.
The man did shoot several times into the church, although no one inside the church was injured.
Because the church was holding its annual Vacation Bible School Sunday service -- common among evangelical churches during the summer -- a larger number of children than normal were present in the sanctuary. A video inside the sanctuary shows dozens of people running to one side of the church, apparently away from the gunfire.
#BREAKING: Gunfire erupts at CrossePointe Community Church in Wayne. About 150 people were at a special vacation Bible school service Sunday when the shooting occurred.
— The Detroit News (@detroitnews) June 22, 2025
A security guard later killed the active shooter, police say. | 🔗 Read more: https://t.co/kn1dL70BjT pic.twitter.com/FiWGFFB2wK
"He was run over by one of our members who saw this happening when he was coming into church," Kelly said.
The security guard was shot in the leg and is in stable condition at a local hospital.
Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong said the deacon and the security guard saved countless lives.
"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.
The man was never able to enter the building.
Shooter Identified as Brian Anthony Browning
The man was later identified as Brian Anthony Browning, whose mother attends the church, MLive reported. He did not have a criminal record and had attended the church a few times over the past year, police said. Browning may have been suffering from a mental health crisis, police added.
Kelly said Crosspointe had launched a security team a decade ago following other acts of violence against churches, The Detroit News reported.
"We are sitting ducks to someone who wants to come and do harm," Kelly said.
The police department said in a statement: "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 security team locked the front doors and exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who was shot and killed by a member of the security team."
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Emily Elconin/Stringer
Originally published June 23, 2025.
