A man who opened fire on a church with an AR-15 was suffering a mental breakdown and attended the congregation with his mother.

Brian Browning, 31, was shot dead by security guards at CrossPointe Church in Wayne a suburb of Detriot, on Sunday morning.

He began the attack by ramming his Ford F-150 truck into the building at 11.06am before he opened fire during service.

The Wayne Police Department said he ‘may have been suffering a mental health crisis’ and had nothing to do with organized terrorism.

The suspect’s mother is part of the church where he has attended two or three services in the past year, according to reports.

‘The church security team was alerted by the gunfire and reacted quickly to engage the suspect outside the main entrance doors of the church.’

Brian Browning, 31, was shot dead by security guards after he opened fire on CrossPointe Church in Wayne, Michigan, on Sunday morning

One security guard was shot twice in the leg and is recovering in hospital after surgery. Some bullets went into the church by no one else was hurt.

Browning carried an AR-15-style assault rifle along with multiple magazines of ammunition, as well as a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, as revealed by the police.

Police found rifles, semi-automatic handguns, and a large amount of ammunition when they searched his home after the shooting.

However, he had no criminal history or prior contact with police, and the motive for his attack, beyond his mental crisis, is unknown.

A harrowing video from a live church service broadcast captures the moment when panicked families began fleeing for safety as a gunman started firing shots.

The bloodcurdling video showed churchgoers suddenly realize the unfolding terror and run towards the door.

Young children were on the stage and in the pews with their parents, before one member directed the congregation to ‘get down’ and run to the back of the building. 

Chilling screams, ‘come on, come on’, were heard as kids and adults fled for their lives, followed by a loud bang and shouting off-screen. 

The bloodcurdling video showed churchgoers suddenly realizing the unfolding terror and running towards the door at CrossPointe Church in Wayne, Michigan

CrossPointe Church in Wayne, a western suburb of Detriot

A livestream video of the chilling moment revealed how the congregation escaped the shocking scene

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, said the agency was on the ground providing ‘assistance and investigative support’ in Wayne. 

The church’s senior pastors, Bobby Kelly Jr, told The Detroit News that a member ran the shooter over, giving the security guard a chance to shoot them.

‘He (the suspect) was run over by one of our members who saw this happening when he was coming into church,’ the pastor 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 

Kelly added that there were about 150 people in attendance for the vacation Bible school service. Many of the attendees were children.

The pastor said that when the congregation initially heard noises outside, they thought it was from construction. 

Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. told local news that there were around 150 people in church when the shooting broke out 

The suspect’s identity and motive remain unclear at this time as police continue to investigate 

The suspected shooter was driving a Ford F-150 when he crashed into the church building and opened fire 

He said that the church hired security more than a decade ago in response to increased violence against places of worship. 

Kelly said they felt like ‘sitting ducks’ without protection. The congregation’s leadership is planning a meeting to put together a plan for dealing with the shooting’s aftermath.

When asked about the children who witnessed the shooting, he said they were ‘doing good’ and that the congregation was coming together to support one another.

The church’s official schedule had events listed from 9am to 6pm. CrossPointe also hosts adult and teen Sunday School and kids Sunday school at the church from 9.30 to 10.30am. 

Wendy Bodin, a witness at the church, told ClickOnDetroit that she was in the lobby answering a phone call when she saw the attacker. 

‘It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been involved in,’ Bodin recalled. 

She said she initially thought the shooter just crashed his car, but then fled to the bathroom when she heard gunshots.

Multiple agencies, including the FBI, have arrived in Wayne to assist local law enforcement with the investigation 

The chaotic scene unfolded during a service at CrossPointe Church. Community members are pictured gathering outside after the shocking sequence of events 

Police have yet to confirm the extent of the injuries of those involved or identify the suspect 

Bodin hid out in the bathroom with another churchgoer and eventually fled the building to meet the rest of the congregation in the woods.  

‘I was hiding in one of the bathrooms and stood on the toilet and shut the door. We didn’t know what was going on, but we knew it was bad,’ she said.

She said she was grateful for security and the church leaders following protocol.

‘Fortunately they got everyone out of the building safe. We did have one man for sure got shot in the leg, but he’s OK, from what I’ve been told. So, praise God,’ she said. 

Bodin said the church held services outside last weekend for Father’s Day and was grateful the attack didn’t happen then.