A Virginia man, Rui Jiang, was on Wednesday, March 27, indicted by a grand jury and charged with attempting to obstruct the congregants of the Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Virginia, in the free exercise of their religious beliefs.
In a Thursday statement, the US Justice Department said 35-year-old Jiang’s indictment charged that his attempted act involved a dangerous weapon and an attempt to kill, and included both a threats count and a firearms violation.
According to court documents, Jiang began posting online threats against the Park Valley Church on the evening of Sept. 23, 2023.
On the morning of Sept. 24, 2023, police began searching for Jiang in response to a concerned citizen’s call about his online posts.
Police officers located Jiang at the front entrance to the Park Valley Church while Sunday services were underway.
Jiang was armed with a semiautomatic handgun and two full magazines of ammunition.
During a search of Jiang’s apartment, police discovered five copies of a letter, each signed, which read in part, “To the families of those men about to be slain – I am sorry for what I have done and about to do. May your tears not be cried in vain, but to celebrate how your loved ones had lived.”
Jiang was arrested and detained by state authorities on Sept. 24, 2023.
If convicted of all counts, Jiang faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, the Justice Department said.