Virginia man sentenced to 25 years for attempted mass shooting at church

A Virginia man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempting to carry out a mass shooting at a church, according to prosecutors.

Rui Jiang, 36, of Fairfax, was convicted in March of attempting to carry out a mass shooting, possessing a firearm in furtherance of the attempt, and transmitting threats online. In addition to his prison term, he was sentenced to five years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

According to evidence presented at trial, Jiang began posting threats against Park Valley Church in Haymarket on the evening of September 23, 2023, explicitly stating his intent to kill congregants.

The following morning, police located him at the church while Sunday services were underway. He was armed with a semiautomatic handgun, two magazines of ammunition, and two knives. Additional weapons and supplies—including more ammunition, knives, and bear spray—were found in his car.

A search of Jiang’s apartment uncovered copies of a manifesto signed by him, which included the statement: “I am here deny [sic] the love lives blessed by God to these lucky men, by taking out these men… To the families of those men about to be slain – I am sorry for what I have done and about to do [sic].”

“This was the closest of calls,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “But for the determination of a concerned citizen; the exceptional police work… and the steadfast vigilance of the church security team, this would have ended in unimaginable tragedy.”

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from local law enforcement, including the Prince William County, Fairfax County, and Anne Arundel County Police Departments.