A Virginia man was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Wednesday over his attempt to carry out a mass shooting at a church.
Rui Jiang, 36, was convicted in March for his 2023 plot to gun down congregants at the Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Virginia.
Jiang had posted online threats about the church in September 2023 about his desire to kill congregants.
“Blood will be on your hands,” one of the messages on Instagram read, according to court records. A call from a concerned citizen the following morning sparked a manhunt to find Jiang.
Officers responded to Jiang’s residence and found a manifesto in which he wrote about his desire to kill men at the church.
Virginia man Rui Jiang's chilling manifesto, discovered before his attempted church mass shooting, revealed his intent to "deny the love…blessed by God" to male congregants at Park Valley Church. His statement, "I am sorry for what I have done and about to do," preceded his arrest at the Haymarket church, armed with a handgun, ammunition, and knives. The 25-year prison sentence reflects the severity of his planned attack and online threats
Despite police finding the manifesto, they had just missed Jiang: He’d already gone to Park Valley Church to carry out his attack.
Virginia church security thwarted a mass shooting attempt by Rui Jiang, 36, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Jiang's suspicious behavior—all-black clothing and sunglasses during Sunday services—alerted church staff, including an off-duty officer, amidst a congregation of approximately 1,000. This led to his apprehension and the prevention of a potential massacre at Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Virginia
Suspicious behavior, including sunglasses worn indoors on a rainy day, alerted church security to Rui Jiang's presence, leading to his arrest and subsequent 25-year sentence for plotting a mass shooting at Park Valley Church
When Fairfax County Police apprehended Jiang at the church, he was armed with a semiautomatic handgun, two magazines of ammunition, and two knives, according to the Justice Department More ammo, knives, and a canister of bear spray were also found in his vehicle.
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In a statement following the sentencing, Erik S. Siebert, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said Jiang sought to “violate” the freedom to worship.
“The freedom to worship without fear is one of the bedrock principles of our Nation,” Siebert said. “Rui Jiang set out to violate that principle by entering a church during a religious service armed with the intent to murder innocent parishioners. This unspeakable act, only thwarted by brave law enforcement officers and civilians, has no place in our Republic and will always be a priority of my office.”
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