Rui Jiang, Attempted Church Shooting, Virginia 2023

State: Virginia
Category: Violent Crime
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/fairfax-man-sentenced-attempted-church-shooting" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

A Fairfax man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his attempt to carry out a mass shooting at a Haymarket church, for carrying a gun during that attempt, and for transmitting threats over the internet.

Rui Jiang, 36, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Jiang was previously convicted by a jury in March 2025.

According to evidence presented at trial, Jiang began posting online threats against the Park Valley Church on the evening of Sept. 23, 2023, which made clear his intention to kill congregants.

The next morning, police searched for Jiang in response to a concerned citizen’s call. Officers located Jiang at the church while Sunday services were underway. Jiang was armed with a semiautomatic handgun, two magazines of ammunition, and two knives.

He had additional ammunition, knives, and a canister of bear spray in his nearby car. During a search of Jiang’s apartment, police discovered copies of a manifesto, signed by Jiang, which read in part, ‘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).’

‘The freedom to worship without fear is one of the bedrock principles of our Nation,’ said Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. ‘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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