Member of Wayne church security team who stopped gunman: 'God's hand of protection was over us'

Jay Trombley is certain God made sure every circumstance came together in the right way, and every person was in the right place, for churchgoers and safety team members at his Wayne church to prevent a mass shooting Sunday, starting with when the church first formed its security team about a decade ago.

Trombley, 57, and others who work as armed security for CrossPointe Community Church shot and disarmed Brian Browning, who police say had an AR-15 style rifle, more than dozen fully loaded magazines, a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition when he pulled up to the church around 11 a.m. Sunday morning during a special youth service. About 150 people were in attendance, including many children.

"Everything happens for a reason. The butterfly effect, as they say," Trombley said. "Years ago, this was all set in motion for us to defend ourselves against the evil that came to our doorstep."

Trombley, a trucker by trade who said he's worked as a member of the church's security team for about a decade but was not part of its initial planning, made clear he can't be sure whether he's the one who killed the gunman, since other members of the armed team also shot at Browning.

"God led us to this day that we were a well-oiled machine ... of godly men who would stand up and defend this house of worship," he said.

After the incident, the Wayne Police Department identified the gunman as Browning, 31, of Romulus. Wayne police have said Browning's mother is a member of CrossPointe Community Church, and he attended services there a few times this past year.

Deacon 'saved the rest of us'

From what Trombley remembers and has learned since Sunday about how the shootout unfolded, Browning drove into the parking lot erratically, drawing attention to himself. He then got out with a gun and put on tactical gear, including sound-deadening equipment on his ears, and was noticed by a deacon who tried to talk to the man. The man smirked at him but didn't respond; instead, the gunman walked toward the church's front doors.

The deacon chased the man with his truck and rammed him. He backed up, preparing to ram Browning again, but Browning shot at the deacon's pickup truck, disabling it.

"The deacon saved the rest of us. He started the defensive battle against this guy," Trombley said.

When the incident first started, Trombley said he was standing at the back of the sanctuary with his back to a cry room.

A woman who witnessed the first shots while she was in the lobby ran to the cry room to get her husband and kids, prompting Trombley to investigate noises he initially thought were mechanical, such as a pipe hammering.

Browning, meanwhile, exchanged shots with another security team member and shot yet another in the leg.

Trombley retreated into the church's lobby area when he realized the gunman had noticed him, and Browning started shooting from the church's exterior into the lobby and down a hallway. Trombley said video footage captured bullets raining down around him.

"God's hand (protected) me in just the right spot," Trombley said.

"If he had made it to that door and shot his way in that door ... my handgun would not have been able to keep up with that battle."

As Trombley prepared to engage with the gunman, Browning had somehow ended up on his back outside the church. Trombley shot at him and then carefully approached Browning, who Trombley noticed was still moving, to disarm him and stand watch over him. The gunman died at the scene, police said.

Authorities arrived quickly, having already been called by people at the church who saw Browning get out of his car with a gun before he started shooting.

"And then it was raining blue uniforms. It was amazing," Trombley said.

Security team prepared

Crosspointe started its security team about a decade ago in response to increasing violence committed at other houses of worship in the U.S.

Trombley, one of three security team members who were present Sunday, believes all the training the team has done since then — de-escalation tactics, crowd control during a crisis, first aid and knowing where people can shelter safely — all prepared them to prevent what could've been a mass shooting on Sunday.

The church's senior pastor, Bobby Kelly Jr., said that as the shootout unfolded, church members heard noises many assumed were construction-related and continued with the service until a security guard directed them to evacuate.

A video clip of the church service, which police have said is authentic, shows some churchgoers beginning to leave the room. A woman at the front says, "Please, everybody, come to the back," and more follow.

CrossPointe Community Church Pastor Andy Pugh told The News that Browning never threatened the church before, but seemed to be struggling with mental illness the few times he attended service in the past year. Pugh said church leaders were "trying to steer him better" and felt Browning had made progress before the shooting.

The church is closed for the time being for repairs and cleaning.

The church said in a statement it would take advantage of grief counseling agencies, community programs and other churches who offered aid "as much as (they) can" and asked for prayers for the healing of church members and Browning's family. "They are hurting too," the church said.

"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 Browning’s 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."

Trombley isn't certain that the chaos of what happened on Sunday has hit him yet and said his wife tells him that he tends to bottle up his emotions.

"I know I took a man's life, but I know that man was coming to take my life, the life of my family, and 80 children and many more people," he said. "And it doesn't make it any easier. It doesn't really justify it in my head, but it does in a way. Satan sent that man to discourage our house of worship and to disrupt us sharing the word to the people that come to our church and to the people of our community."

When a pastor pointed out during a private gathering of churchgoers on Tuesday that they can be thankful they aren't planning funerals for anyone in attendance on Sunday, it made Trombley cry.

"I put tears on the ground then," he said.

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