The man accused of attempting to carry out a mass shooting at a church in suburban Detroit had previously debated with the group’s pastor about religion, telling him he had “heard from God.”
Months before Brian Browning’s attempted attack on Sunday service at the CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, he had visited to debate with Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr, Fox 2 Detroit reports.
Speaking the day after Browning’s planned rampage was thwarted by church security, Kelly said the 31-year-old man had said he was a prophet.
“He said he heard from God,” the pastor said on Monday.
Recalling their first meeting earlier this year, Kelly said: “He had some questions about the Bible. He kind of challenged me on some things in the Bible, and so we went back and forth about some scripture for a little bit.”
At a second meeting in February, it became apparent that the man was seeking help, said the pastor: “He seemed to be genuine about needing some help.”
He continued: “I don’t know exactly what it was, cause he didn’t say — didn’t say it was mental health. He didn’t say it was an issue that he had or any of that, he just said you know, ‘can you help me with some things?’ and I said sure.”
Browning also had a family connection to CrossPointe Community Church. His mother had been a member of the group for months, which Kelly confirmed.
“She was recently baptized at one of our services, I believe in October of last year, and we’ve been knowing her for many years,” he said.
Despite these connections to the church, it is not clear why Browning, who had no prior criminal history, allegedly attempted a mass shooting of parishioners. He was armed with a handgun, an AR-15, and 500 rounds of ammunition, according to police. His motive remains unknown.
There was no connection to military strikes in the Middle East, as had been suggested online, given the timing of his actions, the morning after U.S. bombers attacked Iranian nuclear sites, amid Israel’s war on Iran.
Browning was shot dead by church security guards, having been run down by a Ford SUV driven by the church’s deacon. One of the security guards sustained a gunshot wound to the leg.
City of Wayne Police spent hours on Sunday investigating the scene before reporting details in the evening. Browning was formally identified some hours later.
Police chief Ryan Strong thanked those present for their quick reaction to the threat, saying: "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.”
