Ordinary people work together to save the day

CrossPointe church members, Jay Trombley and Ron Amann, CrossPointe safety team members, with Deacon Richard Pryor. Photo by John Rhaesa

By Sarah Shurge – Sunday, June 22nd, started off as a service of celebration for members of CrossPointe Community Church. CrossPointe was having a special service for their children’s Vacation Bible School (VBS). The prior Sunday, service was held outside and service was planned to be outside again that day.
CrossPointe has held outdoor services since COVID and half of the congregation really enjoys it. However, Bobby Kelly, CrossePointe Community Church Lead Pastor, moved the service inside for the VBS program.
Jay Trombley and Ron Amann, CrossPointe safety team members, were sitting in the congregation watching the VBS program. Amann was sitting next to his wife, while holding his grandson on his lap. His two daughters were next to his wife, holding their youngest.
Since there was a special service that morning, CrossPointe didn’t hold Sunday School or serve breakfast that morning. Knowing this, Deacon Richard Pryor, CrossPointe member, decided to make breakfast at home instead of stopping to get breakfast. Service had already started, and Pryor was listening to the live cast on his way into church.
Pryor pulled into the parking lot, parked his truck, and was getting ready to go inside when he saw Brian Browning enter the parking lot.
Browning, of Romulus, MI, Wayne Memorial High School 2012 Valedictorian, was dressed in camouflage and a tactical vest, and began retrieving weapons from his vehicle.
Pryor didn’t have a weapon in his vehicle, so he used his vehicle as a weapon and hit Browning with his truck.
“Calling 911 and the dispatcher saying ‘hold on,’ I realized there wasn’t enough time for Wayne Police to arrive. Out of all options available to me, that was the best I could do at the moment,” said Pryor.
After hitting him, Pryor sat up in his seat to see if Browning was downed. Browning was on the ground, shaking his head.
Pryor tried to put the truck in drive to hit Browning again, when Browning opened fire at the truck. There was no action from the truck when Pryor tried to get it to move.
Inside the church, the kids had just finished their VBS program and Pastor Kelly was getting prepared to come on stage for the sermon when Pastor Kelly, Trombley, Amann, and the congregation heard a strange noise outside.
At first, Pastor Kelly thought it might be tools working outside. Trombley thought it was a mechanical issue like the AC running or a pipe.
Trombley turned around to look into the Cry Room – which has a glass window – and he could see people running and panicking. He opened the door to ask, “what was that?” [regarding the noise] and he heard someone say “AR-15.”
“Someone came running in saying ‘there’s a man with a gun’,” said Amann. “I passed off my grandson to my wife. I wasn’t on Safety that day, but I knew it was part of my responsibility to protect my family and my church family. Most people were running to the right; I ran to the left.”
Amann and Trombley ran to the lobby, and through the chaos, saw someone dressed in full military gear and someone in a pickup truck.
“I spent time assessing, trying to figure out what was happening,” said Trombley. Trombley retreated away from the door, back into the building, around the same time that Browning shot into the church.
“I watched him shove a magazine into the rifle, he turned around and pulled the trigger. He had turned it to automatic and shot out the glass. It hit me in the leg. I tried to stand up and my leg didn’t do anything. I knew I’d been hit,” said Amann.
A team member checked on Amann.
“Ron got hit. I didn’t. I’m not sure how when we look at the impact of where rounds traveled,” said Trombley. “God protected me.”
Trombley circled back around the wall, engaging Browning with his firearm.
Meanwhile, Pryor sat in a truck that wouldn’t move.
“With what he [Browning] did to the truck, I realized he had powerful weapons,” said Pryor. “I saw a safety team member in the rearview mirror behind the AC unit. People were now aware of the situation.”
This safety team member wishes to remain anonymous and will be referred to as SM (Safety Member).
SM was using the air conditioning unit for cover as he was engaging Browning with shots, while Trombley was inside the church shooting through shattered windows.
Hoping not to get shot at again, Pryor exited his vehicle, ran west towards the apartments, and hid behind one of the cars.
“I saw SM engaging. Then it went quiet,” said Pryor. The safety team was effective with their shots and Browning was taken out.
SM and Trombley approached Browning’s body and got his weapon away from him. Trombley noticed Browning also had a handgun on his side, and he carefully got that away too.
SM and Trombley kept cover, Pryor started making his way back over to the area, and the Wayne Police arrived on scene.
“Police got there within a few minutes, but a few minutes feels like eternity in a situation like that,” said Pastor Kelly.
A tourniquet had been put on Amann and he was quickly taken away in an ambulance once police and EMT arrived on scene.
Law enforcement had the building evacuated after the thought of a possible bomb in Browning’s vehicle.
It was reported that Browning was armed with an AR-15 style rifle, a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and more than a dozen fully loaded magazines.
After everyone was reunited with their families, Trombley saw smoke and thought the building was on fire, but it was Pryor’s truck on fire, a result of the gunshots.

Matt Demmer of Jack Demmer Ford shakes hands with local hero Richard Pryor before handing him the keys to his brand-new Ford F-150 — a gift from Jack Demmer Ford and Ford Motor Company in recognition of Richard’s courageous actions during the recent incident at CrossPointe Community Church. Photo by John Rhaesa

Amann had surgery on his leg later that evening. The bullet had shattered his bone, so he now has a metal rod in his leg and screws to hold it in place. “It’s been challenging. I’m an active person, so I’m getting used to a new way of life with crutches, a walker, and a wheelchair,” said Amann.
Amann just had his stitches removed two weeks ago, however, his leg is still very swollen, so he doesn’t know the full extent of his recovery process. “I would do this all over again if the outcome would be the same – no loss of life in our church,” said Amann. “He [Browning] came to do a lot of damage. This injury is minor compared to what could have been.”
The week following the incident, the church was closed for cleaning and repairs. Several local churches, grief counseling agencies, and community programs reached out to assist.
A search warrant executed at Browning’s residence uncovered additional rifles, handguns, and a large cache of ammunition.
Exactly one week later, CrossePointe Community Church gathered to worship God in the same place where the shooting incident occurred the following Sunday. Police cars were on site Sunday morning as participants arrived and exited the church.
“We would not let Satan win. He attempted to destroy, but he wasn’t able to do that. God stopped him. He could win if he allowed us to be fearful and not come back,” said Pastor Kelly. Pastor Kelly preached about God’s protection over the church by sparing their lives and encouraged forgiveness towards the shooter, Browning.
“We are called to forgive as we have been forgiven,” said Pastor Kelly. “Forgiveness is beneficial because it’s a release from holding onto anger and bitterness. It’s a decision to do in Christ. We might not be able to carry the hurt, but we can cast it on the Lord.”
Pryor, Trombley, Amann, and many CrossPointe members attended the first service back, as well as many members from surrounding churches and communities to show support.
“My focus was coming back and making sure my people feel safe. We’ve dedicated 10 years to the safety team knowing this could happen,” said Trombley.
Trombley and Amann have been a part of the safety team since its inception around 10 years ago. Trombley has been attending CrossPointe Community Church for around 15-18 years, Amann since 1965, and Pryor for 12 years.

Richard Pryor in his new Ford F-150.

The safety team – a group of ordinary people who volunteer their time – is under the pastor’s direction. Pastor Kelly has been with CrossPointe Community Church for nine years this month.
The team does training, meetings, and has developed evacuation plans for every room. They had just attended a training that previous Thursday on active shooters. There were already protocols in place before this incident.
“Going forward from here, I hope people realize that this can happen, that it does happen, and to prepare for something like this to happen,” said Trombley. “God led us to that day, protected us, prepared us, and moving forward we can help others prepare. It can be done. It’s just a bunch of ordinary people that had this result.”
When asked what their favorite part about CrossPointe was, Pryor, Trombley, and Amann all responded how it was a family. “The friendships I’ve built, the family, the body of the church – that was the thing I was willing to die for,” said Trombley.
A GoFundMe was created for Pryor regarding the loss of his truck, and Jack Demmer Ford – located less than two miles from the church – quickly got involved.
Matt Demmer, Jack Demmer Ford owner and general manager, presented Pryor with a 2025 F-150 PowerBoost on a two-year free lease as a gift from Jack Demmer Ford and Ford Motor Company.
“You never think it’s going to happen in your backyard, it’s literally in our backyard. It’s the next traffic light up the road,” said Demmer.
CrossPointe Community Church is located at 36125 Glenwood Road. For more information about CrossPointe Community Church, visit cpccwayne.org or call (734)721-7410. You can find them on Facebook by searching “CrossPointe Community Church.”
“This is the kind of event that defines you and we’re thankful we have this testimony of God saving us from death. Not in a metaphorical way, but in a literal way,” said Pastor Kelly. “People were coming from everywhere trying to help, we just want to say thank you and we love you to those individuals.”