A man who attempted to attack a Virginia church armed with a gun and a couple of knives has been convicted of multiple counts and is facing at least five years in prison, or even life.
A jury found Rui Jiang guilty on Thursday of charges that include attempting to obstruct the congregants of a church in the free exercise of their beliefs, transmitting threats online and a firearms violation.
Jiang faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, but could be sentenced to life. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 18, according to the United States Department of Justice.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.
On Sept. 23, 2023, Jiang made multiple threats of violence on social media against Park Valley Church of Falls Church. A Maryland resident saw these posts and alerted authorities.
On the morning of Sept. 24, 2023, a Sunday, an off-duty police officer at the church discovered Jiang’s vehicle on the property, as did other members of the congregation.
Church members detained Jiang until authorities arrived. When arrested, Jiang was found to be carrying a loaded legally purchased handgun, an extra ammunition magazine, and two knives.
In a statement released at the time, Fairfax County police said they and other police departments “acted swiftly” and, as a result, “were able to stop a potential active shooter.”
“Since the arrest, detectives from our Threat Assessment Management Unit have been assigned to assist with the investigation,” local authorities said at the time. “TAM detectives assisted with the execution of a search warrant at Jiang’s home. Evidence supporting Jiang’s intent to cause harm was recovered from the scene.”
In December 2023, the Prince William County Police Department announced that it was adding the charge of attempted aggravated murder to earlier charges of carrying a dangerous weapon to a place of worship and making threats of bodily harm.
“The additional charge against the accused […] stems from the ongoing investigation and analysis of digital evidence obtained during the search warrant executed at his residence in Falls Church,” authorities stated at the time.
“Based upon the recent analysis of the digital evidence, physical evidence collected at the time, and the social media postings on accounts used by the accused depicting the church with threatening language, indications were the accused intended to cause harm, injury, and death to the church congregation.”
Jiang was indicted in March of 2024, with investigators finding a note that he had written to the families of his potential victims.
“To the families of those men about to be slain — I am sorry for what I have done and about to do. May your tears not be cried in vain, but to celebrate how your loved ones had lived,” read the letter in part, as quoted by authorities.
Authorities also found evidence of anti-religious sentiment, as seen with various social media posts that Jiang had allegedly written before the attempted mass shooting.
