A Falls Church man was sentenced on June 18 for his attempt to carry out a mass shooting at a Haymarket church. Rui Jiang, 36, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Jiang was charged with attempting to obstruct the congregants of a church in the free exercise of their religious beliefs. The charge included that his attempt involved a dangerous weapon and an attempt to kill. He was also charged with transmitting online threats and a firearms violation. He was convicted on all charges by a jury in March.
According to trial evidence, Jiang began posting online threats to kill Park Valley Church congregants on September 23, 2023. The following day, police responded to a concerned citizen’s call, and officers found him at the church attending a service. He was armed with a semiautomatic handgun, two magazines of ammunition, and two knives. He also had additional ammunition, knives, and bear spray in his car.
“This was the closest of calls. But for the determination of a concerned citizen; the exceptional police work by the Anne Arundel, Fairfax, and Prince William County Police Departments; and the steadfast vigilance of the church security team, this would have ended in unimaginable tragedy,” Justice Department Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a statement.
“The church shooting that was thwarted because of the vigilance of concerned citizens is a reminder that when communities and law enforcement agencies work together, we can prevent targeted acts of violence,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
