HAYMARKET, VA – A 35-year-old man based out of Falls Church, Virginia, was arrested earlier in September after authorities say he entered a local church in Haymarket while carrying a loaded handgun and two knives.
The suspect in custody allegedly issued vague threats online aimed at the church in question, which authorities learned of after a tip came in regarding the concerning social media posts.
The suspect at the center of the church debacle was identified as Rui Jiang, who has since been charged with threats of bodily harm and carrying a dangerous weapon to a place of religious worship, with the individual currently being held without bond.
While a motive in the alleged matter is not yet clear, police in Maryland's Anne Arundel County were initially tipped off by a Laurel resident who’d spotted Jiang’s concerning social media posts signaling unspecified threats in conjunction with pictures of a church.
Investigators reportedly identified the church as the Park Valley Church located in Haymarket, Virginia, and connected with local authorities out of Virginia's Prince William County to share the obtained information.
Police initially visited Jiang’s home in Fairfax County on September 24th, but the suspect was not at home. Shortly thereafter, an off-duty Prince William County officer who happened to be working a security detail at Park Valley Church spotted Jiang’s vehicle at the church parking lot.
The off-duty officer, who was reportedly in uniform at the time, connected with church staff immediately thereafter. Staff had already been monitoring someone they believed to be a suspicious person.
Luckily, Jiang was located and taken into custody without incident near the church entrance, where police discovered a handgun, two knives, and an additional magazine on the suspect.
A statement released by officials noted that church services were ongoing at the time Jiang was taken into custody, and that the suspect had already once entered the church building prior to being stopped.
Jiang reportedly did have a concealed carry permit in his possession at the time of his arrest and the firearm was registered in his name, according to authorities. An emergency protection order was employed to seize Jiang’s firearms in tandem with his arrest.
The suspect in custody allegedly issued vague threats online aimed at the church in question, which authorities learned of after a tip came in regarding the concerning social media posts.
The suspect at the center of the church debacle was identified as Rui Jiang, who has since been charged with threats of bodily harm and carrying a dangerous weapon to a place of religious worship, with the individual currently being held without bond.
While a motive in the alleged matter is not yet clear, police in Maryland's Anne Arundel County were initially tipped off by a Laurel resident who’d spotted Jiang’s concerning social media posts signaling unspecified threats in conjunction with pictures of a church.
Investigators reportedly identified the church as the Park Valley Church located in Haymarket, Virginia, and connected with local authorities out of Virginia's Prince William County to share the obtained information.
Police initially visited Jiang’s home in Fairfax County on September 24th, but the suspect was not at home. Shortly thereafter, an off-duty Prince William County officer who happened to be working a security detail at Park Valley Church spotted Jiang’s vehicle at the church parking lot.
The off-duty officer, who was reportedly in uniform at the time, connected with church staff immediately thereafter. Staff had already been monitoring someone they believed to be a suspicious person.
Luckily, Jiang was located and taken into custody without incident near the church entrance, where police discovered a handgun, two knives, and an additional magazine on the suspect.
A statement released by officials noted that church services were ongoing at the time Jiang was taken into custody, and that the suspect had already once entered the church building prior to being stopped.
Jiang reportedly did have a concealed carry permit in his possession at the time of his arrest and the firearm was registered in his name, according to authorities. An emergency protection order was employed to seize Jiang’s firearms in tandem with his arrest.
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