Authorities arrested a man who they say was minutes away from carrying out a mass shooting at a church in Northern Virginia on Sunday morning.
Rui Jiang, 35, was taken into custody with a loaded gun and extra ammunition at Park Valley Church in Haymarket. Authorities said he was on a mission to kill.
“This was a thwarted diabolical plot to kill churchgoers in Haymarket, Virginia … and local law enforcement stopped it,” Chief Kevin Davis of the Fairfax County Police Department said.
“Minutes. Minutes. The congregation was making their way into the church. He was in the vestibule of the church about to enter,” Davis said. “So, minutes or seconds away.”
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Investigators said they were able to stop the potential massacre thanks to someone who saw troubling posts on Instagram and called police. Several posts showed Jiang pointing a firearm at pictures of churches, authorities said.
“What she saw concerned her enough to call the Anne Arundel [County, Maryland] Police Department and say, ‘Hey, I think something really bad is going to happen,’” Davis said.
Police said Jiang went on a stakeout of the church early Sunday morning and posted pictures from the parking lot.
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In charging documents released Tuesday, police said Jiang admitted to posting the photos on Instagram, some which clearly showed the Park Valley Church.
"Blood will be on your hands," one caption read in part. In another, Jiang allegedly wrote, "No women will be harmed."
Another post showed Jiang holding a handgun, the charging documents said.
Hours later, the concerned citizen alerted Anne Arundel County police. They determined that the suspect lived in the Bailey’s Crossroads area of Fairfax County, and police there went to perform a welfare check at his home in the 5600 block of Seminary Road. Jiang was not home, authorities said.
“At 10 a.m. officers requested Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD) officers to immediately respond to the Park Valley Church area to search for Jiang. Recognizing the severity of the situation, an FCPD Lieutenant contacted PWCPD directly to relay the information,” Fairfax County authorities said in a release.
It was at the church, just after 10 a.m., that Jiang was arrested. Police said he was carrying a loaded, semi-automatic pistol with another magazine, plus a knife.
Hours later, police searched his home and made a disturbing discovery.
“[Officers] found a kill manifesto, the likes of which I’ve never read,” Davis said. “But he also articulated that he didn't know anyone at that church. He articulated that his would-be victims, and he put it out there … He knew he was going to take many lives yesterday and he also said, ‘I don’t know any of them.’”
Senior pastor Barry White said Monday evening that his congregation was breathing a big sigh of relief and giving thanks that no one was hurt.
“Quite frankly, we've just been thanking God. You know, God’s been so good to us, and he protected us,” White said. “I was here, but it was conducted in such a way that most of the things that were happening were kind of happening behind the scenes.”
Jiang faces charges for making threats and taking a weapon to church.
White said this won’t change how the church worships.
“Keep running our services the same for sure. All are welcome, everybody’s welcome, but at the same time, you know, we always want to be as vigilant as possible for everyone’s safety,” he said.
Jiang was held without bond.
