Deacon who helped prevent mass shooting at church surprised with new truck

July 16, 2025

A deacon whose truck was totaled when he helped to stop a mass shooting on June 22 at CrossPointe Community church in Wayne, Michigan, has been blessed with a new truck.

The Christian Post reports that deacon Richard Pryor used his pickup to stop 31-year-old Brian Downing who had opened fire while approaching the church armed with a rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition.

Downing was then fatally shot by a member of the church’s security team.

A police report states that Pryor’s actions to stop Downing’s attack gave church security time to take down the attacker while getting members to safety.

Pryor described seeing the gunman as he arrived for the worship service, telling WXYZ, “As soon as he got out of the vehicle, I saw the fatigues, I saw the gun on his hip, and he pulled the weapon out of his vehicle.”

Pryor said he made the decision to drive directly at Downing, at which time the gunman opened fire on him.

The deacon explained, “He shot a round through the truck, and in those few seconds, I realized the truck was dead and I didn’t have a weapon on me.”

According to the Christian Post, last week the general manager of a local Ford dealership presented Pryor with a 2025 F-150 Powerboost on a two-year free lease for his act of bravery.

Pryor, while grateful for the gift, also showed reluctance in accepting the vehicle.

The deacon has also seen more than $47,000 donated to a GoFundMe campaign that was started to support him in replacing his destroyed vehicle.

In a message to donors, Pryor wrote, “I wanted to personally thank everyone who contributed to this GoFundMe. I don’t have words to express how grateful I am. The incident that led to my truck being destroyed has obviously changed me. But the level of love and gratitude I have experienced since has changed me so much more.”

Photo: top, Credit: Screenshot/WXYZ