A guy who visited the church with his mother was identified as the heavily armed suspect who was fatally shot by security after he opened fire outside of a Michigan church that was crowded with congregants on June 23. The suspect was shot by security after entering the chapel.
At the CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, which is located in the western suburbs of Detroit, Brian Browning, who was 31 years old, was fatally shot on June 22. In accordance with the police, Browning had made an attempt to break into a morning service that was being held at the church. However, another individual attempted to stop him with their truck.
According to the police, the security crew of the church then intervened and exchanged gunfire with the suspects. A member of the congregation stated to the Detroit Free Press, which is a part of the Network, that the church had prepared for a circumstance like this and that it was responsible for protecting “all those attending,” which included all of the children.
“In today’s society, any training that can preserve life is beneficial,” said Wayne Deputy Chief Finley Carter. He also included the statement that everyone should “remain vigilant and remain aware and prepared for an event.”
By the late morning of June 23, the police stated that it was still unclear why Browning had targeted the church. However, detectives suggested that it may have been the consequence of a “mental health crisis.” In addition, the authorities stated that Browning had no prior interactions with the Wayne Police Department and had no criminal past.
According to the police, Browning had been living with his mother, who is a member of the church’s congregation. It was reported to the authorities that he had attended two or three services at the church over the course of the previous year.
Browning was found to have carried a number of firearms, including an assault-style rifle, more than a dozen magazines that were completely loaded, a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to the findings of further inquiry. The guns were all obtained in a lawful manner, according to the authorities.
“I am thankful for the courageous actions taken by the members of the church’s staff.”
Chief Ryan Strong of the Wayne Police Department stated that the authorities were “grateful for the heroic actions of the church’s staff members” during a news conference that took place on June 22. He went on to say that the actions of the staff members “undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large-scale mass shooting.”
Police said that the gunman came at the church at approximately eleven o’clock local time, when services were already in progress, and immediately began discharging his pistol outside the building. He was armed with a long gun and a handgun, and he donned gear that was camouflaged and protected him with a tactical vest.
Police say that a witness saw a man who was driving a silver SUV “erratically” in the parking lot before parking the car on the west side of the church structure. The witness recounted seeing the man. After that, the man allegedly removed his firearms from the truck and proceeded to head in the direction of the entrance to the church.
A few minutes later, other calls to 911 stated that the man had fired a handgun before a churchgoer attempted to stop him by ramming him with their pickup truck. It was said by Strong that the suspect had fired multiple shots at the truck.
According to the police, the security team responsible for the church heard the shooting and immediately arrived to the scene. The suspect was approached by the security crew outside the main entrance of the church, and they engaged in gunfire with one other. According to the police, they also shut the doors, making it impossible for him to enter the church.
At least two members of the church’s security crew were responsible for shooting the suspect, which resulted in the fatal wounds, as stated by Strong. A member of the church security staff, whose name has not been disclosed by the authorities, was struck in the leg by gunfire and transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
When policemen arrived at the scene, they stated that they attempted to save the suspect’s life but were failed in doing so.
Following a successful operation, the member of the church security team was reported to be in stable condition by the police. In a later statement, the police made it clear that the members of the security team were not employees of the commercial guard business.
A search of Browning’s residence yielded firearms, including rifles, semi-automatic handguns, and ammo, according to the police.
“Everyone left without incident.”
After the incident, Don Schlamb sent an email to the Free Press in which he provided a brief description of the events that took place inside the church. He stated, “There are a lot of people who are hurting right now.” We are obligated to pray for everyone.
During the service that took place on June 22, Schlamb was seated in the front row, and he assisted in moving the children to a secure location.
“Praise the Lord, we all got out safely,” he said in conclusion. “I was one of the first people who arrived at our church to assist in the establishment of the security squad. This is the kind of situation that we trained for. We were able to ensure the safety of everyone who attended the church by putting in place a program that was effective.
At the time of the shooting, which occurred at the church, the police estimated that there were more than one hundred persons present. A video footage of the worship session that was being streamed online has been pulled from the video streaming provider.
A Vacation Bible School presentation was reportedly a part of the service, as stated by several accounts.
As violence against churches continues to escalate, the incident has occurred.
There was “no evidence to believe that this act of violence has any connection” to the crisis in the Middle East, according to a statement released by the police to the Free Press. This remark was made in response to aerial strikes carried out by the United States over the weekend against Iran.
Over the course of the past few years, law enforcement officials in the United States have issued warnings about the possibility of targeted violence targeting places of worship, groups based on faith, and religious leaders. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, officials have urged religious organizations to take the necessary steps to establish a “robust security plan.”
“Violent extremists probably consider faith-based institutions to be attractive targets because of their symbolism, perceived lack of security, accessible locations, and violent extremist messaging glorifying past attacks and advocating future targeting,” according to the findings of the Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team.
According to a survey published by the Family Research Council, the level of hostility and violence directed toward churches across the nation is at an all-time high. The report showed that there were more than 430 occurrences across the country in 2023, which is more than double the number of incidents that occurred in 2022 and represents an 800% rise in events since 2018.
