A federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, has found Rui Jiang of Falls Church guilty on charges related to an attempted shooting at a church in Haymarket. The verdict comes after a four-day trial where Jiang faced accusations of trying to obstruct the religious practices of the church's congregants through violent means. The charges included attempted murder, transmitting online threats, and firearms violations.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Jiang had posted threatening messages online against the church on September 23, 2023. These posts indicated his intention to harm those attending the services. The following morning, police began searching for Jiang after receiving a tip from a concerned citizen about his threatening posts.
Police officers discovered Jiang at the entrance of the church during Sunday services. Volunteers at the church had also noticed his suspicious behavior and were approaching him when law enforcement arrived. At the time, Jiang was armed with a semiautomatic handgun and two magazines loaded with ammunition. Additional ammunition was found in his vehicle nearby.
Further investigation led police to Jiang's apartment, where they uncovered multiple copies of a letter signed by him expressing remorse for his planned actions. He was apprehended by Prince William County Police on September 24, 2023, and has remained in custody since.
Jiang is now facing a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and could receive up to life imprisonment when sentenced on June 18. Sentences for federal crimes often fall short of maximum penalties due to various considerations taken by judges under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The announcement of Jiang's conviction was made by Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mac Warner, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Roman Rozhavsky from the FBI’s Washington Field Office after Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. accepted the verdict.
The FBI conducted an extensive investigation into this case with significant assistance from local police departments in Prince William County and Fairfax County as well as support from Anne Arundel County Police Department.
Prosecution efforts were led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas A. Durham and Troy A. Edwards Jr., alongside Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton from the Civil Division’s Criminal Section.
For more details about this case or related documents, information can be accessed through the websites of both the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern District of Virginia and District Court for Eastern District or via PACER using Case No. 1:24-cr-65.