Wayne Police Chief: Church staff saved many lives
Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong will address the media at Wayne Police Station on Sunday, June 22, 2025, after an active shooter was murdered at Crosspoint Community Church in Wayne, Michigan.
Detroit – Police on June 23 identified a heavily armed suspect who was fatally shot dead by security guards after firing outside a Michigan church filled with worshippers as a man who attended church with his mother.
Brian Browning, 31, was shot dead on June 22 at Crosspoint Community Church in Wayne, a western suburb of Detroit. Police say Browning tried to plunge into morning service at the church before others tried to stop him in the truck.
The church security team then intervened and exchanged the shootout, police said. One worshiper told Detroit Free Press, part of the USA Today Network that he believes the church has trained for such a situation and protected “all attendees,” including children.
“In today’s society, training that can protect lives is beneficial,” said Deputy Director Wayne Finley Carter, adding that people should “be wary, stay aware and stay prepared for events.”
By midnight on June 23, police said it was still unclear why Browning targeted the church, but detectives suggested that it could be the result of a “mental health crisis.” Browning had not had any previous contact with the Wayne Police Department or criminal history, authorities added.
Police said Browning lived with his mother, a member of the church. Police say he has attended two or three services at the church over the past year.
Further investigation revealed that Browning carried several weapons, including an attack-style rifle, more than a dozen fully loaded magazines, a semi-automatic handgun with expanded magazines, and hundreds of ammunition. All weapons were legally acquired, police noted.
“We appreciate the heroic actions of the church staff.”
At a June 22 press conference, Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong said the authorities “awesome church staff for their heroic actions,” adding that it “has no doubt saved many lives and prevented mass shootings.”
The suspect arrived as service was underway around 11am local time and began firing weapons outside the church, police said. He was wearing camouflage clothes and a tactical vest, and armed with a long gun and a handgun.
Police say they saw a man driving “irregularly” in the parking lot before parking the vehicle on the west side of the church building. The man then pulled out the gun from the car and headed towards the entrance to the church, police said.
Minutes later, multiple 911 calls reported that the man fired a weapon before church participants tried to stop him by slamming him with a pickup truck. Strong said the suspect repeatedly shot the truck.
Police said the church’s security team heard the gunshot and responded immediately. The security team confronted suspects outside the church’s main entrance and exchanged gunfights. They also locked the door to prevent him from entering the church, police said.
Strong said at least two church security staff shot the suspect, causing fatal wounds. One of the church security officers whose names are not disclosed by police was shot in the foot and taken to a local hospital.
When officers arrived at the scene, police said they tried to save the suspect’s life but failed.
Police said the church security officers were in stable condition after the successful operation. Police later revealed that members of the security team were not employees of the commercial security service.
Police said the search for Browning’s home searched for covered rifles, semi-automatic handguns and ammunition.
“We all left safely.”
After emailing the free press after the shooting, Don Schlam briefly explained what unfolded in the church, saying, “There are so many people out there right now. We have to pray for everyone.”
Schlam wrote in the front row for service on June 22nd, helping to move the children safely.
“Praise the Lord, we all came out safely,” he added. “I was one of the first people to help establish a security team at the church, and we trained for this situation.
Police estimated there were more than 100 people at the church at the time of the shooting. Video recordings of worship services that were streamed online have been deleted.
According to some accounts, the service included a presentation from the Holiday Bible School.
The incident occurs amid an increase in violence against the church
In a statement to the Freedom Press, police noted that the US “doesn’t have any evidence to believe that this violence has something to do with” the Middle East conflict after the weekend airstrikes in Iran.
In recent years, law enforcement officials have warned of targeted violence against places of worship, faith-based organizations, and American faith leaders. Authorities are urging faith-based agencies to set up “robust security plans,” according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
“Rich extremists believe that faith-based institutions are attractive targets, perhaps because they recognize symbolism, lack of security, accessible locations, and messages of violent extremists celebrating past attacks and future targeting,” according to the Joint Terrorism Assessment Team.
The Family Research Council report shows hostility and violence against churches across the country has increased. This was discovered in 2023 over 430 incidents nationwide. This is more than doubled in 2022, an 800% increase in incidents since 2018.
