(WXYZ) — The church member who was shot in the leg while confronting a gunman at Crosspointe Community Church is now home from the hospital and speaking exclusively with 7 News Detroit.
Watch the video report below:
Ron Amann underwent surgery just hours after a bullet shattered his tibia during Sunday's attack. He's now beginning what doctors expect could be a year-long recovery journey.
Amann was one of three members of the church's safety team who attended a training at Peacemakers Shooting Range in Howell just three days before the attack.
Extended interview: Amann, victim in Wayne church shooting, shares his story with 7 News Detroit
"At what point, if at any point during this, did it sink in like, this is happening right now?" asked 7 News Detroit reporter Brett Kast.
"I guess probably after I came through and was shot, I knew this is... we're in an active situation," Amann said.
It's a situation Amann trained for but never expected to happen at the church he and his family have attended for nearly 60 years.
"I grew up in the church, so I've been there since the '60s," said Amann. "My family has been a part of it the whole time, so we continue to go there."
Roughly a decade ago, Amann and a few other church members formed a church safety team — regular citizens who trained to be armed and respond to active shooters, among other safety issues.
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"When we formed this team, I just knew it was my calling to protect my family and this church family," Amann said.
This past Sunday, Amann, who's a team lead, was not on shift. He was sitting in the back row with his family, watching the kids' Vacation Bible School.
"I heard a popping, a pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, noise that I couldn't quite identify. It stopped, I heard it again, and probably within a few seconds after that, someone came running in the back of the sanctuary and said there's a shooter out there," Amann said.
As others took cover, Amann sent off his family to take cover, and then he went toward the shots.
"When I got into that area, he (shooter) was sitting on the ground with a rifle, and he was sitting away from me, so he turned to make a sweep of the glass with his gun and just held the trigger and shot through," Amann said.
The 31-year-old gunman in tactical gear was armed with multiple weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. But another church member outside saw him coming and hit him with a truck, leaving him lying on the ground outside, but still armed.
"He just started spraying bullets into the lobby, went through the glass, shattered it, and that's when it caught my leg and spun me around," Amann said. "I don't know if he knew what his target was at that time, other than he had to do damage.”
The bullet shattered Amann's tibia as he took cover, but he kept his gun drawn.
"I was prepared with my gun while I was laying there. If he came inside, then I would have engaged the shooter and I would have used my weapon on him," Amann said.
Extended interview: Jay Trombley talks about confronting armed man at Wayne church
Before that could happen, another safety team member, Jay Trombley, shot and killed the gunman. Just three days earlier, both Trombley and Amann, along with another team member, attended a training at a nearby shooting range focused on protecting places of worship.
"You never think you're going to go through that. You want to be prepared for something you never think is going to happen," Amann said.
Related Story: Churches increase security training after CrossPointe shooting
Thanks to many heroes, Amann was the only one besides the shooter who was shot. The traumatic memories and bullet fragments still in his leg will remain with him forever, but this church and its members say they and their faith only grow stronger.
"Being a person of faith and having a relationship with God, I believe he orchestrated all of the preparations and prepared us exactly for what we encountered," Amann said. "If you think about what could've happened versus what happened, there's just no way he couldn't have been there protecting."
Repairs are still ongoing at Crosspointe Community Church, and Amann will be at home for months recovering. Members of the church have started an online fundraiser to help Amann and his family while he's out of work.
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