Horrific footage from a church service’s livestream showed the moment that frantic families started running for their lives when an active shooter opened fire.
CrossPointe Church in Wayne, Michigan, was hosting its Sunday morning mass when the suspect, described by police as a white man, 31, suddenly rammed his truck into the building and start shooting bullets at the terrified congregation inside.
Deputy Chief Finley Carter III with the Michigan Police Department said the suspect’s identity wasn’t being released at this time and they are still investigating a motive.
The department confirmed the unnamed suspect was killed at the scene by the church’s security guard. One victim was shot in the leg.
The bloodcurdling video, first published by NBC affiliate, ClickOnDetroit, showed churchgoers suddenly realize the unfolding terror and run towards the door.
Young children were seen on the stage and in the pews with their parents, before one member directed the congregation to ‘get down’ and run to the back of the building.
Chilling screams ‘come on, come on’ were heard as kids and adults fled for their lives, followed by a loud bang and shouting off-screen.
A spokesperson for the police department said multiple agencies are investigating the scene and have urged residents to stay away from the area.
The shooting occurred around 11:15 am, about a half hour after the service began. It’s unclear if anyone aside from the gunman was killed in the gunfire.
The Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Dan Bongino, shared a statement on X that his department was on the ground providing ‘assistance and investigative support’ in Wayne.
One of the church’s senior pastors Bobby Kelly Jr., told The Detroit News, that a member ran the shooter over, giving the security guard a chance to shoot them.
‘He [the suspect] was run over by one of our members who saw this happening when he was coming into church,’ the pastor said.
Kelly added that there were around 150 people in attendance for the vacation Bible school service. Many of the attendees were children.
The pastor said that when the congregation initially heard noises outside, they thought it was from construction.
He said that the church decided to hire a security team over a decade ago in response to accelerated violence against places of worship.
Kelly said they felt like ‘sitting ducks’ without protection. The congregation’s leadership is planning a meeting to put together a plan for dealing with the tragedy’s aftermath.
When asked about the children who witnessed the tragic events, he said they were ‘doing good’ and that the congregation was coming together to support one another.
The church’s official schedule had events listed from 9 am to 6 pm. CrossPointe also hosts Adult & Teen Sunday School and Kids Sunday School at the church from 9:30 to 10:30 am.
