A man who was fatally shot by a security guard after opening fire at a Michigan church has been identified as a 31-year-old man who previously attended services there with his mother.
Brian Anthony Browning, from Romulus, Michigan, was armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle when he opened fire on Sunday outside CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, a suburb 25 miles west of Detroit, authorities said.
Browning, whose mother was a member of the congregation, attended services at the church several times over the past year. He was spotted driving recklessly before exiting his car wearing a tactical vest and carrying a rifle and a handgun, Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong said.
He began firing as he approached the church, hitting one person in the leg before another parishioner drove his pickup truck into Browning to stop the violence.
The church’s security team locked the front doors and exchanged gunfire with Browning, with at least two staff members shooting him.
Livestream video of the service captured several people carrying or directing children out of harm’s way.
“C’mon, everybody to the back,” a woman calls out from between a row of seats. “Please, everyone, come to the back!”
People can be seen in the footage ducking their heads and rushing out of the building as others yell “Go!” and “Come on!” before a loud gunshot is heard.
Authorities said Browning did not have any criminal history or previous run-ins with the police, but may have been suffering a mental health crisis. Authorities added that it was too soon to know a motive.
About 150 people were inside the church at the time of the incident.
“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.
One member of the church’s security team was shot in the leg and was listed in stable condition at a hospital after undergoing surgery, authorities said. No one else was injured.
With reporting from the Associated Press.
