Heroic Actions Avert Potential Mass Shooting at Michigan Church

Wayne, Michigan – A potential large-scale mass shooting was heroically averted at CrossPointe Community Church on Sunday morning, thanks to the swift actions of church members and its security team. According to police, 31-year-old Brian Browning arrived at the church campus armed with a pistol and a semi-automatic rifle, firing upon the building. Inside, moments of confusion quickly turned to chaos as congregants heard what turned out to be ten shots. “It was muscle memory to go take care of the threat, to protect the family,” stated Jay Trombley, a member of CrossPointe Community Church’s security team, in an interview. The situation escalated when a church deacon, who was running late for service, spotted Browning and courageously struck him with his pickup truck, slowing him down. Following this initial intervention, Trombley engaged the suspect, ultimately shooting and killing Browning. Trombley recounted that Browning had fired more shots into the building, hitting another person in the calf before he was neutralized. Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. expressed mixed emotions about the incident, reflecting on whether it was worse for the attacker to be a stranger or someone known to the community. He revealed that he and others had attempted to minister to Browning months prior to the incident. Browning’s mother had been baptized at CrossPointe and occasionally attended services there. Pastor Kelly also spoke of what he described as divine providence, noting that the church had decided months earlier not to hold its worship service outside that day, and that children from the vacation Bible school were safely inside the church sanctuary during the shooting. “They would have been walking right through our lobby and would have been engaged by this suspect,” he said, emphasizing the miraculous nature of their protection. Bullet holes and boarded-up windows now mark the church building, serving as a stark reminder of the averted tragedy and the bravery displayed by those who acted to protect their community.