Jay Trombley — a member of CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan — told WXYZ-TV he initially thought the noise he heard during Sunday's service was something "mechanical."
Trombley recalled to the station that he "turned to see people running" and "asked them through a door what had happened."
'The one thing that always has been in the back of my mind — the question: "If I hear that noise, will I run to it, or will I run from it?" And I answered that question yesterday.'
A young woman told him "AR-15" and pointed to where the noise was coming from, and Trombley told WXYZ that he "headed in that direction."
As a volunteer member of the church's security team, Trombley and the team's other members immediately went to work.
Police said 31-year-old Brian Anthony Browning of Romulus, Michigan, was wearing camouflage clothing and a tactical vest, was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, and had more than a dozen fully loaded magazines as well as a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Browning also was firing at the church, police said.
Police said a church member driving a pickup truck hit Browning. Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. told the Detroit News that the church member actually drove over the suspect: "He was run over by one of our members who saw this happening when he was coming into church."
What's more, the gunman shot at the vehicle repeatedly, Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong told the Detroit Free Press at a news conference Sunday evening.
Police said the church security team locked the church's front doors and exchanged gunfire with the suspect outside. Police said a member of the security team shot and killed the suspect. First responders pronounced the suspect dead after performing lifesaving measures, police said.
One member of the church's security team was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital, where he was last listed in stable condition after a successful surgery, police said. The wounded security team member did not fire a weapon at the gunman, Deputy Chief Finley Carter III told Blaze News, adding that he was one of three security team members involved.
Kelly told the Detroit News that the attacker didn't enter the church building, but several shots were fired into the church. Carter added to Blaze News that police haven't yet determined how many rounds the gunman fired. No other church members were hurt, the Detroit News added.
WXYZ said Browning attended a few services at the church where his mother was baptized, but the station added that it's unclear why he chose to carry out a mass attack there.
Trombley knows one thing: The suspect's act was "evil."
"We found out that evil came to our door, but God's hand of protection was right over us," Trombley told WXYZ. "So many things happened that can only be God-driven: The parishioner shows up late to engage him with this pickup truck to slow him down; a double-pane window stopped five rounds. ... God's hand was protecting me."
The station added that Trombley is "coming to terms with the reality that the cost of saving lives Sunday was taking one."
"I realize what happened yesterday, what my actions did," Trombley told WXYZ before a lengthy, thoughtful pause. "You know, I will reconcile with the Lord on a time for that, you know. I was protecting his people."
"The one thing that always has been in the back of my mind — the question: 'If I hear that noise, will I run to it, or will I run from it?' And I answered that question yesterday," he added to the station.
WXYZ said Trombley doesn't view himself as a hero, but rather a guardian protecting his family — and the members of CrossPointe Community Church are his family. Check out his interview with the station titled "Church security guard speaks out after shooting and killing armed man" below.
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CrossPointe issued the following statement about the shooting on its website:
On Sunday, June 22nd at approximately 11:15am, an armed gunman attempted to bring about maximum casualties during our worship service. But instead of having to report massive losses, we are grateful to God that there was only one member of our security team who suffered a leg injury caused by the gunfire. As details emerge, we are seeing God’s hand of protection more clearly in how what could have been, simply wasn’t.
There are many heroes, both men and women who acted bravely and selflessly to prevent an all out catastrophe. Among these were the members of our security team who engaged the suspect and subdued the threat. There is also the church member who was divinely positioned to see the assailant approaching the church in full tactical gear, including an assault rifle, and acted swiftly to hit him with his truck, injuring him. This action kept the gunman from ever entering the building and gave our security team extra needed seconds to respond. Glory to God!
To the Wayne Police, EMS, and Fire, along with the other localities that arrived on scene, thank you for your very swift response to secure the scene and offer support and comfort as we tried to catch our breath from this attack.
Lastly, we are extremely encouraged by the response from several local churches, grief counseling agencies, and community programs who have reached out to assist. We will be taking advantage of as much as we can to help us move forward. But most importantly, thank you all for your many prayers. They are much needed at this time. Please pray for our healing, the strengthening of our faith, and the continued bond of unity brought about through this shared traumatic experience, and for the family of Brian Browning. They are hurting too.
Through all of this, know that we will continue to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ with boldness and clarity so that people, including the Brian Brownings of the world, can learn that we can all be forgiven if we repent from our sins and place our faith in Jesus Christ, who is forever praised, amen.
A Wayne resident recalled to Blaze News the sounds of the shooting, noting that what actually was happening wasn't immediately apparent to him.
"I heard everything," the man recounted to Blaze News on the condition of anonymity, adding, "I was in my backyard and heard loud noises coming from the church."
The resident — who was just a few hundred feet from the church — added to Blaze News he "thought it was construction" and "then I go to my job and see police cars." He added that he later learned the details of the shooting and that it was "really sad."
"I know people who go to the church," the man told Blaze News, adding that they're dealing with some trauma but are managing it.
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Police in Michigan said the mother of the suspect accused of opening fire at a suburban Detroit church on Sunday is a member of the church — and that the suspect attended services there in the last year.
Wayne Police in a news release said they received multiple 911 calls just after 11 a.m. Wayne is about a half hour southwest of Detroit.
'We are grateful for the quick actions of the church’s staff members.'
A witness told police he saw the suspect driving erratically in a silver SUV in the parking lot of CrossPointe Community Church after which the suspect parked the vehicle. The suspect — a white male wearing camouflage clothing and a tactical vest — was retrieving guns from his car and headed to the church, police said.
Police said minutes later, more calls poured in — this time saying the suspect was firing shots and that a church member driving a pickup truck hit the suspect.
Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. told the Detroit News that the church member actually drove over the suspect: "He was run over by one of our members who saw this happening when he was coming into church."
What's more, the gunman shot at the vehicle repeatedly, Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong told the Detroit Free Press at a news conference Sunday evening.
Upon hearing the gunfire, police said the church security team locked the church's front doors and exchanged gunfire with the suspect outside. Police said a member of the security team shot and killed the suspect. First responders pronounced the suspect dead after performing life-saving measures, police said.
One member of the church's security team was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital, where he was last listed in stable condition after a successful surgery, police said. The wounded security team member did not fire a weapon at the gunman, Deputy Chief Finley Carter III told Blaze News, adding that he was one of three security team members involved.
Kelly told the Detroit News the attacker didn't enter the church building, but several shots were fired into the church. Carter added to Blaze News that police haven't yet determined how many rounds the gunman fired. No other church members were hurt, the Detroit News added.
Police said an investigation has identified the shooting suspect as 31-year-old Brian Anthony Browning of Romulus, Michigan. Romulus is about 12 minutes south of Wayne.
Police said the suspect was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and had more than a dozen fully loaded magazines as well as a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
The suspect's mother is a member of the church, police said, adding that he attended services there two or three times over the course of the last year.
Police said a search warrant was executed at the suspect's residence where additional rifles, several more semi-automatic handguns, and an additional large amount of ammunition were seized and confiscated.
Police said the suspect had no previous contacts with Wayne police or criminal history — but police added that the investigation suggests he may have been suffering a mental health crisis. Deputy Chief Carter added to Blaze News that the image of Browning shown above is not a mug shot but rather his driver's license photo.
Police also said in its news release that there is no evidence that the act of violence was connected with the Middle East conflict.
In addition, police confirmed that a livestream video of church members reacting to gunfire indeed shows Sunday's incident:
A Wayne resident on Monday recalled to Blaze News the sounds of the shooting, noting that what actually was happening wasn't immediately apparent to him.
"I heard everything," the man recounted to Blaze News on the condition of anonymity, adding that "I was in my backyard and heard loud noises coming from the church."
The resident — who was just a few hundred feet from the church — added to Blaze News he "thought it was construction" and "then I go to my job and see police cars." He added that he later learned the details of the shooting and that it was "really sad."
"I know people who go to the church," the man told Blaze News, adding that they're dealing with some trauma but are managing it.
Police said about 150 people were at a special Vacation Bible School service when the suspect began shooting, the Detroit News said, adding that Strong said more children than usual were in attendance.
“We are grateful for the quick actions of the church’s staff members, who undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large-scale mass shooting,” Strong told the Detroit News. “I would add that the church parishioners and staff members were trained in responding to emergency situations, which also saved lives.”
Strong told the Detroit News the suspect's motivation is not yet clear.
Church members launched a security team about 10 years ago in the wake of violence committed at other places of worship around the country, Kelly added to the Detroit News while noting that CrossPointe hadn't received threats of violence.
Kelly added to the Detroit News that children in attendance Sunday were "doing good" and that members were being mutually supportive: "We will be convening our leadership to put a formal plan in place for the aftermath." It isn't clear when the church will resume holding services.
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Federal authorities arrested another University of Michigan scholar from China this week, revealing an alarming pattern of potential national security threats.
Chengxuan Han is facing federal charges for attempting to smuggle biological material into the United States, according to a criminal case filed Monday and reviewed by the Detroit News.
'The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a (People's Republic of China)-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions.'
Han is pursuing a doctorate at the College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, and was invited to participate in a visiting scholar program at UM.
From September to March, while in China, she allegedly mailed four packages containing "biological material related to round worms" to the UM Professor Laboratory, according to prosecutors. The recipients of the packages were not named.
Interim U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon stated that Han obtained the biological materials from the Wuhan university.
On Sunday evening, Han arrived at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport after catching a flight from Shanghai.
An FBI agent claimed that Han, while undergoing secondary inspection at the airport, "made false statements that she had not sent packages to members of the UM Lab."
RELATED: Agroterrorism plot? Chinese nationals arrested for smuggling potential bioweapon into US: FBI
"When pressed, Han admitted that she had shipped packages to members of the UM Lab. Han initially stated to (Customs and Border Patrol) officers that the packages were plastic cups (rather than petri dishes) and a book (omitting the envelope with suspected biological materials concealed in it)," the FBI agent wrote.
During another interview with the FBI, Han "admitted to sending the packages, admitted that the packages contained biological material related to round worms, and admitted to making false statements to the CBP officers during her inspection," prosecutors' argued.
Han told federal authorities that the concealed or mis-manifested biological material included Nematode Growth Medium, a formulation used to cultivate microscopic roundworms, and plasmids, small and circular DNA molecules in bacteria and some microscopic organisms.
According to the FBI, Han claimed she sent one of the packages "as a 'game' with clues written above each plasmid."
Han also allegedly deleted the contents of her electronic device a few days before arriving in Michigan.
According to the complaint, “Han stated she deleted the content to ‘start fresh’ while she was in the United States.”
Gorgon called Han's alleged attempt to smuggle in the material "an alarming pattern that threatens our security."
"The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a (People's Republic of China)-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions," the interim U.S. attorney added.
CBP Acting Director of Field Operations John Nowak stated, "The guidelines for importing biological materials into the U.S. for research purposes are stringent, but clear, and actions like this undermine the legitimate work of other visiting scholars."
Han faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
Her attorney, Rhonda Brazile, declined a request for comment from the Detroit News. UM did not respond to the outlet's request for comment.
Last week, another University of Michigan scholar and her boyfriend, both from China, were arrested by federal authorities for allegedly attempting to smuggle a potential bioweapon into the U.S.
These arrests come just days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Trump administration would "begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields."
However, President Donald Trump indicated on Wednesday that his administration would be pulling back those efforts, citing a new trade deal with China.
He wrote in a post on Truth Social, “OUR DEAL WITH CHINA IS DONE, SUBJECT TO FINAL APPROVAL WITH PRESIDENT XI AND ME. FULL MAGNETS, AND ANY NECESSARY RARE EARTHS, WILL BE SUPPLIED, UP FRONT, BY CHINA. LIKEWISE, WE WILL PROVIDE TO CHINA WHAT WAS AGREED TO, INCLUDING CHINESE STUDENTS USING OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD WITH ME!). WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 55% TARIFFS, CHINA IS GETTING 10%. RELATIONSHIP IS EXCELLENT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!”
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Federal authorities arrested two Chinese nationals after they were accused of attempting to smuggle a potential bioweapon into the United States, claiming they wanted to use it to conduct research at the University of Michigan.
On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced charges against Yunqing Jian, 33, and her boyfriend, 34-year-old Zunyong Liu.
'These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a "potential agroterrorism weapon" into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme.'
According to authorities, Liu arrived in the U.S. with a bag of fungus, Fusarium graminearum, which could be used as a potential agricultural terrorism weapon. The biological pathogen causes a devastating disease in wheat, barley, maize, and rice, the Detroit News reported.
RELATED: Rubio to 'aggressively' revoke Chinese nationals' student visas to eviscerate CCP's spy invasion
An FBI agent claimed in a criminal filing that Liu made “false statements” to Customs and Border Protection officers regarding his reason for visiting the U.S. and his knowledge of the fungus in his possession.
“Ultimately, Liu admitted to smuggling the pathogen and stated that he brought the pathogen into the United States so that he could conduct research on it at a laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked,” the agent wrote.
Interim U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon stated, “The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals — including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party — are of the gravest national security concerns.”
“These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme,” Gorgon added.
RELATED: Chinese national accused of voting in US election skips hearing, prompting bench warrant
The federal charges follow President Donald Trump’s crackdown on China’s infiltration of American universities.
Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the administration would implement new visa restrictions on Chinese students.
He wrote in a post on X, “The U.S. will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.”
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Importing a large number of people from nations where liberty does not thrive and making no demand of assimilation doesn't create a melting pot. It creates a powder keg.
Until Jesus comes back, churches should anticipate the persistence of crime, tragedy, and death and arm themselves accordingly.
While media outlets pushed unfounded fears of Election Day threats, they disregarded the integrity threats of liberal third-party groups.
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