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By Sophie Clark
Live News Reporter
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The chief suspect in the shooting outside a church in Michigan on Sunday has been named by police as Brian Anthony Browning.
According to police, Browning, 31, opened fire outside CrossPointe Community church in Wayne before he was hit by a vehicle and fatally shot by security staff. One guard was left with non-life-threatening injuries and was treated for his wounds in hospital.
The Wayne Police Department said Browning had no criminal history or contacts with the police, but may have suffered a mental health crisis.
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He had previously attended the church with his mother, and had mentioned it at least twice on his Facebook page. Police said there was no clear link between those posts and the attack on Sunday.
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Why It Matters
Sunday's incident comes after Minnesota Democratic state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were killed by a gunman and Democratic State Senator John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette were seriously injured earlier this month.
Police do not believe that the shooting at the church was politically motivated at this time.
What To Know
Police were called to CrossPointe Community church at 11:06 a.m. on June 22 by witnesses who reported seeing a white man in camouflage and a tactical vest. One of these witnesses told police they had seen a man driving an SUV "erratically" in the church's parking lot.
A few minutes later the man opened fire outside of the church before being struck by a member of the church who was driving a pickup truck.
Church security then arrived as congregants escaped, and engaged in gunfire with Browning, who was killed.
Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. told the media that he thought the gunshots were a jackhammer outside until security rushed in telling everyone to evacuate.
The ongoing investigation has uncovered that Browning was carrying several weapons, all purchased legally. These weapons included an assault-style rifle and a semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine. He also had hundreds of rounds of ammunition on him.
More weapons were uncovered during a sweep of his home where he lived with his mother.
What People Are Saying
Parishioner Don Schlamb, told the Detroit Free Press: "There's a lot of hurting people out there right now. We must pray for everyone. Praise the Lord, we all got out safely. I was one of the first people who helped set up the security team at our church. We trained for situations like this. The program we put in place worked perfectly to protect all those attending the church."
Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr., told The Associated Press: "I can't say for sure what was in his heart or in his mind because he's never threatened me in any way. This young man was definitely struggling mentally. He thought he was hearing from God. We had some conversations about that."
Police Chief Ryan Strong said at a news conference: "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."
What Happens Next
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
The state of Rhode Island has just banned the sale of assault-style weapons, making a shooting like Sunday's less likely. It is unclear whether there is any similar political push to ban these weapons in Michigan at this time.
Correction, 9/29/25, 6:25 a.m. ET: This article was updated to clarify that the lawmakers killed and injured on June 14 were from Minnesota.
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