Federal prosecutors take over case against man charged with threatening Virginia church

MANASSAS, Va. — Federal prosecutors have taken over the case against a Northern Virginia man who was arrested last year on suspicion that he was about to commit a mass shooting at a megachurch.

Local prosecutors in Prince William County on Tuesday dropped charges against Rui Jiang, 35, of Falls Church, including one count of attempted aggravated murder of multiple people. That paves the way for his prosecution in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, where Jiang was recently charged with making interstate threats.

A conviction on federal charges can often result in longer prison sentences than a conviction on state charges, but not always.

Jiang was arrested on September 24 at Park Valley Church in Haymarket, where a police officer discovered that Jiang had entered the church during Sunday services armed with a gun and a knife. Police acted on a tip they received several hours earlier, and agencies appreciated the quick cooperation between multiple law enforcement agencies in preventing a potential tragedy.

A 33-page affidavit filed in federal court last week provides new details about the day’s rapidly evolving investigation.

The initial tip came from a woman Jiang met on a dating app earlier in 2023, the affidavit said. The woman had stopped communicating with Jiang months earlier, but saw social media posts that she found alarming, including vague threats against the church that said, “There is blood on your hands,” and photos of a burning Bible.

Police in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, interviewed the woman on the morning of the 24th and quickly contacted Fairfax County police, who checked at his home to see if Jiang was present, according to the affidavit.

When officers couldn’t find him, they contacted Prince William County police. According to the affidavit, an off-duty officer handling traffic at the church was alerted. By then, church security personnel had already noticed Jiang and became concerned about his behavior, which included tapping on glass and other actions that appeared to “set the church up,” the affidavit said.

Church security escorted Jiang out of the building just as the officer approached the front of the church. The officer interviewed, disarmed and detained Jiang before formally arresting him.

According to the affidavit, Jiang had been a member of the church since April and had given the church a donation of more than $450 in June as part of a tithing challenge. Two days before his arrest, he sent an email to the church demanding a refund, saying his life had gotten worse since he made the donation. The church gave Jiang his money back the next day, according to the affidavit.

Police searched Jiang’s home and found multiple copies of a one-page typed note in which Jiang claimed he had been a government assassin for more than a decade, saying, “To the families of those men who are about to be killed – I’m sorry. for what I have done and will do.”

He also said he had no intention of harming women and apologized in advance for any “collateral damage” against women. He said he had failed to “experience a romantic relationship.”

In interviews with police, Jiang told officers he was angry with God, but denied he planned to kill anyone. He admitted to being armed at church, but said he had a concealed carry permit and was often armed.

Tracey Lenox, the public defender assigned to represent Jiang in Prince William County, said after Tuesday’s hearing that she was disappointed the case had been designated for federal prosecution and wished it could have been resolved in state court. She declined to comment in detail on the evidence or Jiang’s mental health, but said she believes Jiang has “good defenses” against the charges.