A gunman who opened fire at a Michigan church during Sunday morning services was stopped by a good gun with a gun — and a vigilant deacon, which stopped what police say would have been a mass slaughter of Christian worshipers.
Brian Anthony Browning, 31, of Romulus, Michigan, was shot and killed by church security at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne after he approached the building wearing a tactical vest and carrying a rifle and handgun around 11:15 a.m.
About 150 people were inside the church at the time of the attack. The church was livestreaming its Sunday service when the shooting occurred, capturing the chaos as congregants ducked behind seats and ran toward the back of the building.
“Everybody to the back,” a woman can be heard yelling in social media video from the scene. “Please, everybody, come to the back.”
Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong said Browning exited his Nissan truck and beginning to fire as he approached the church, when a parishioner struck him with a pickup truck.
“Several staff members from the church approached the gunman. A parishioner struck the gunman with his vehicle as the gunman shot the vehicle repeatedly,” Strong said during an evening news conference. At least two armed church security officers then shot Browning.
“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.
🚨🚨🚨#BreakingNews
Deacon of CrossPointe Church in Wayne, MI (Metro-Detroit) saw gunman outside of church shooting in, where CHILDREN were gathered for Vacation Bible School, and RAN gunman over so security guard could eliminate the threat. Mass casualty averted!… pic.twitter.com/kfq8wi3mxT— PatriotMindi (@Mindi4Freedom) June 22, 2025
One member of the church security team was shot once in the leg in the exchange of gunfire. He is listed in stable condition and expected to recover after his surgery. One other person was also shot in the leg during the attack. No one else was injured.
The church staff members involved in stopping the attack do not wish to be identified, according to police.
Browning had attended services at CrossPointe Community Church two or three times over the past year, and his mother is a member of the congregation. Police said he had no criminal history or previous contacts with local law enforcement.
“The gunman is a 31-year-old white male from Romulus. His motivations are unknown, but at this point it appears he was suffering from a mental health crisis,” Strong said. “Our interactions with him in the past were quite limited. Like nothing of note.”
Police searched Browning’s home and found additional rifles, several more handguns, and a large amount of ammunition.
“I would add that the church parishioners and staff members were trained in responding to emergency situations, which also saved lives,” Strong said.
The attack occurred during a heightened threat environment following overnight U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, but authorities do not believe this was an act of radical Islamic terrorism.
“There is no evidence to believe that this act of violence has any connection with the conflict in the Middle East,” police stated.
The Department of Homeland Security had issued a bulletin after the Iran strikes warning that “low-level cyber attacks” against U.S. targets are likely and that domestic extremists could turn to violence if Iranian leadership calls for retaliation.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged the heightened threat environment, saying “it is our duty to keep the nation safe and informed, especially during times of conflict.”
“The ongoing Israel-Iran conflict brings the possibility of increased threat to the homeland in the form of possible cyberattacks, acts of violence, and antisemitic hate crime,” Noem said.
The shooting occurred in Wayne, a city of about 17,000 people located about 25 miles west of Detroit. Browning lived in nearby Romulus, about 5 miles south of Wayne.