What to know
- A gunman wearing a tactical vest opened fire outside a large church in Wayne with 150 people attending services at the time.
- In what Wayne's police chief called "heroic actions," a parishioner used a vehicle to stop the suspect, and the church's security staff returned fire, fatally wounding the gunman, who police said acted alone and had a history of mental illness.
- One church staff member was shot in the leg in the incident.
By John Agar
Source mlive.com
WAYNE COUNTY, MI – The police chief at Wayne Police Department said “heroic” actions by church security and a parishioner prevented a mass shooting on Sunday, June 22.
The gunman, 31, whose name was not released, was fatally shot.
Police responded at 11:06 a.m. to CrossPointe Community Church, a large church on Glenwood Road in the City of Wayne in Wayne County, police Chief Ryan Strong said.
Church staff reported that the gunman was driving recklessly out of the church and then got out of his vehicle, while wearing a tactical vest and armed with a long gun. He approached the church building and began shooting.
A parishioner struck the gunman with his vehicle. The gunman fired repeatedly at the vehicle before at least two staff members shot him. One staff member was shot in the leg by the gunman, the chief said in a press conference.
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Both parishioners and staff are trained to respond to emergency situations, Strong said.
The church’s livestream, shared on X, showed a woman talking about children in attendance and treats they had planned for after the service before parishioners rushed to the back of the church.
The police chief did not identify the type of firearms involved other than saying one was a long gun and the other was a pistol.
Local, state and federal officers have assisted Wayne Police Department. Strong said that the gunman’s motivation has not been determined but noted that he suffered mental-health issues.
The gunman was near the church but did not enter. Police do not believe that anyone else was involved.
The security guard who was shot in the leg awaits surgery but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, the police chief said.
“And again, just one more thank you to the church staff members. I’m telling you right now, their actions prevented dozens of people from being (injured) today.”
He said the name of the gunman would be released soon but he was not going to say it publicly.
Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. told the Detroit News that the gunman fired into the church and said a deacon was the parishioner who crashed his vehicle into the gunman.
About 150 people were attending a Bible school service when the shooting happened, the Detroit News reported.
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