The mother of the suspect in Sunday’s shooting of a church in Wayne, Michigan, is a member of the church, according to a Sunday evening Wayne Police Department press release.
The 31-year-old suspect, Brian Anthony Browning, of Romulus, Michigan, attended “two or three” services at CrossPointe Community Church over the last year, the press release stated.
Police responded to calls reporting a male suspect dressed in camouflage clothing and a tactical vest was unloading guns from his vehicle to enter the church around 11 a.m. Sunday, according to the press release.
The call came after a witness said he had seen the suspect “erratically” driving his silver SUV in the church parking lot, police stated in the release.
The suspect then parked the vehicle on the side of the church and allegedly began firing shots, according to police. A church parishioner driving a pickup truck reportedly struck Browning during the attack, the statement said.
“The church security team was alerted by the gun fire and reacted quickly to engage the suspect outside the main entrance doors of the church,” officials said in the press release. “The security team locked the front doors and exchanged gun fire with the suspect who was shot and killed by a member of the security team.”
Officers performed life-saving measures upon arrival, but Wayne Fire Rescue pronounced Browning dead at the scene, police stated.
THE LATEST: Police ID the suspected gunman who was fatally shot at a Wayne church Sunday as a 31-year-old Romulus man named Brian Anthony Browning. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
Read our update: https://t.co/sSnMk0yZ5l pic.twitter.com/m0L5I23nGf
— The Detroit News (@detroitnews) June 23, 2025
One security team member suffered a gun shot wound to the leg and received treatment at a local hospital, according to the press release. He “was last listed in stable condition” following a successful surgery, officials said.
“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,” Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong said in the press release.
CrossPointe Community Church has not responded to the Daily Caller’s request for comment as of publication.
At the time of the attack, “the suspect was armed with an AR-15-style rifle with more than a dozen fully loaded magazines,” police said.
He also allegedly carried a semi-automatic handgun and a high-capacity magazine, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to the press release. (RELATED: Texas Police Respond To Reported Shooting At Joel Osteen’s Megachurch)
Officials issued a search warrant at Browning’s residence, where they confiscated additional rifles, semi-automatic handguns and a “large amount of ammunition,” according to the statement.
Browning did not have a criminal history or any previous contacts with the Wayne Police Department, according to officials.
Police said that “the investigation suggests he may have been suffering a mental health crisis,” according to the press release.
Following the attack, Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County, Florida, implored churches to increase their security measures.
“The morning’s active shooter at a church in Wayne, Michigan, reminds us that all of our houses of worship must have a safety and security plan ready to immediately respond to an active shooter,” Judd said Sunday, The Tampa Free Press reported.
Officials said Sunday’s attack, including Browning’s motives, remain an active investigation.