Crime
Deacon Richard Pryor Hailed for Stopping Potential Mass Shooting by Striking Suspect Brian Browning with truck at Crosspoint Community Church
Richard Pryor, a deacon at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, is being recognized for his extraordinary courage after intervening in an attempted mass shooting on Sunday, June 22.
According to Steven Lewellyn, who launched a fundraiser to support Pryor, the deacon was in the church parking lot when he saw a heavily armed man approaching the church entrance.
Realizing the imminent danger, Pryor acted swiftlyโusing his Ford F-150 truck to strike the gunman, effectively halting his advance and buying crucial seconds for church security to respond.
โRichardโs quick thinking and bravery gave our armed security team the time they needed to neutralize the threat before anyone else could be harmed,โ Lewellyn wrote.
Pryorโs truck was hit by multiple rounds during the confrontation and was destroyed in the process.
The Wayne Police Department confirmed that the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Brian Anthony Browning of Romulus, had arrived at the church wearing camouflage clothing and a tactical vest, retrieving firearms from his vehicle with the apparent intent to enter the building.
He was ultimately shot and killed by a church security guard outside the entrance before police arrived.
According to Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr., the suspect never made it inside the church, though he fired several shots toward the building.
Approximately 150 people, including a large number of children, were attending a vacation Bible school service at the time.
โ[Browning] was run over by one of our members who saw what was happening as he arrived,โ Pastor Kelly told media. โThe security guard then had enough time to respond.โ
A security team member was injured, suffering a gunshot wound to the leg, but no other attendees were physically harmed.
Video footage from the church’s livestream captured the moment panic spread through the congregation. Commands like โGet down!โ and โEverybody to the back!โ can be heard as staff quickly moved to protect those inside.
Wayne Police later confirmed that Browning had no prior criminal record and no history of police encounters, but believe he may have been experiencing a mental health crisis.
Investigators said Browning had visited the church on three occasions over the past year and was the son of a woman who occasionally attended services, though neither were official members of the congregation.
โWe are incredibly grateful for the heroic actions of the church’s staff and members,โ the Wayne Police Department stated. โTheir bravery undoubtedly prevented a large-scale tragedy.โ
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Wayne Police Department.
A fundraiser is currently underway to support Deacon Richard Pryor, whose selfless actions may have saved dozens of lives.
His truck, which was destroyed in the incident, symbolized the quick response that stopped a devastating attack.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subjectโs vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorneyโs Office.