Thousands of dollars have been raised for two members of CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, who are now being hailed as heroes for helping to stop a man who attempted to carry out a mass shooting during the church’s worship service on Sunday.
The men, Deacon Richard Pryor and Ron Amann, a member of the church’s security team, are being celebrated for their efforts in stopping 31-year-old Brian Browning, who was fatally shot by a member of the church’s security during a shootout.
“Richard was in the parking lot and saw the shooter walking towards the door. In a moment of quick thinking and incredible bravery Richard sped towards the man, hitting him with his truck and giving armed security crucial extra seconds to get to the scene and prevent further harm,” wrote Steven Lewellyn on a GoFundMe campaign that had raised more than $24,000 for Pryor as of Thursday afternoon.
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“Richard’s truck took several rounds and was totaled. This GoFundMe is [to] assist him and his family with getting a new vehicle and/or anything else they may need.”
Another GoFundMe campaign for Amann, who was shot in the leg, had raised more than $38,000.
“Ron’s tibia was shattered and required extensive surgery to place a rod at the leg injury. This injury will have approximately 3-5 months of physical recovery and rehabilitation. God spared Ron’s life and was mighty in His protection over the security team and congregation,” wrote the campaign’s organizer, Kate Dunphy.
“Psalm 37:23-24 says, ‘The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand,'” she added. “The community’s kindness to lighten the financial burden he and his wife will have while he is unable to work for the coming months will be an essential part of his recovery.”
A police report cited by the Detroit Free Press states Browning was witnessed driving a silver SUV erratically before parking it on the west side of the church building. He was also dressed in camouflage clothing and a tactical vest as he approached the church entrance armed with an AR-15-style rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition.
He opened fire at the church before he was run over by Pryor and later shot. Based on 911 calls, the shooting started shortly after 11 a.m., police said.
Amann told WXYZ that he was one of three members of the church’s safety team who attended training at Peacemakers Shooting Range in Howell just three days before the shooting. He said he never expected he would be involved in an active shooting at the church he had attended with his family for more than 60 years.
“I heard a popping, a pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, noise that I couldn’t quite identify. It stopped, I heard it again, and probably within a few seconds after that, someone came running in the back of the sanctuary and said, there’s a shooter out there,” Amann recalled.
He said he quickly sent his family to safety and ran towards the shooting.
“When I got into that area, he [shooter] was sitting on the ground with a rifle, and he was sitting away from me, so he turned to make a sweep of the glass with his gun and just held the trigger and shot through,” Amann said.
“He just started spraying bullets into the lobby, went through the glass, shattered it, and that’s when it caught my leg and spun me around,” Amann explained. “I don’t know if he knew what his target was at that time, other than he had to do damage.”
Another member of the church’s safety, Jay Trombley, eventually shot Browning.
Church member Dustin Fuoco, who witnessed the shooting, told the Detroit Free Press that even though Pryor has received a lot of praise for his heroism, he “would not want to be called a hero.”
“He is one of the most humble guys I’ve ever seen,” Fuoco said. “And he is 100% giving all the glory to God.”
Fuoco said Pryor told him he was running late for church on Sunday because he “was making himself a ‘sammich.'”
Before the shooting, Browning allegedly debated with the church’s pastor about religion, Fox 2 reports.
Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. stated that Browning informed him that he had heard from God and considered himself a prophet.
“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,” Kelly recalled about a meeting earlier this year.
He said Browning’s mother had been baptized at the church last October, and in February, he came to the church seeking help.
“He seemed to be genuine about needing some help. I don’t know exactly what it was because he didn’t say — didn’t say it was mental health,” Kelly said. “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.”
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