WAYNE, Mich. (WXYZ) — An active shooter was killed by church staff after he opened fire outside of a Wayne church on Sunday morning, injuring one person, police say.
Hear the latest from officials in the video player below
The City of Wayne Police Department said the suspect started driving recklessly near Crosspointe Community Church around 11 a.m., drawing the attention of church staff members. Police said he then exited the vehicle wearing a tactical vest, armed with a long gun and a handgun. According to police, he approached the building and opened fire. That's when a parishioner reportedly struck the suspect with their vehicle.
Police say the suspect started firing at the vehicle, and at least two church staff members then opened fire on the suspect, killing him.
Video shows crowd dispersing from inside the church following shooting in Wayne:
One of the security guards was shot in the leg, police say. He was taken to a nearby hospital with reportedly non-life-threatening injuries.
“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,” said Chief Ryan Strong. "Their actions prevented dozens of people from being murdered."
Police say the suspect is Brian Anthony Browning, a 31-year-old man from Romulus. They believe that Browning was suffering from a mental health crisis. Police say Browning was armed with an AR-15 style rifle, more than a dozen fully-loaded magazines, a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Browning's mother is a member of the church, with police saying he had attended church service there two or three times over the course of the last year.
Police executed a search warrant at Brian's house, finding additional rifles, several more semi-automatic handguns and a large amount of ammunition, all of which were confiscated. We're told Browning did not have a criminal history.
Here's what we know about the shooting at a Wayne church:
Multiple agencies responded to the scene.
"Our leadership and support teams are on the ground, at the scene, in Wayne, Michigan providing assistance and investigative support," said FBI Director Dan Bongino in a statement released Sunday afternoon.
We're told that Vacation Bible Study kids were performing, and the performance was interrupted to clear the church.
Aerial video of the scene from Chopper 7
"The VBS kids were up on stage giving the little songs that they learned, and I had to use the restroom and I was on my cell phone," said Wendy Bodin, who was in the church at the time of the events. "I went out to the front of the building where the grass is, and I saw a man on the ground. I heard a big boom and I thought he got hit or crashed his car or was hurt, and another lady saw and pointed to me and said 'oh my, call 911!'"
Investigators have asked residents of Wayne to avoid the area as the investigation continues.
Web Extra: Witnesses and Wayne mayor react after active shooter shot & killed at Wayne church
This is a developing story. 7 News Detroit has crews at the scene; we will update this story as we learn more.
