Current:Home > reviewsPolice say they thwarted 'potential active shooter' outside church in Virginia -MoneySpot
Police say they thwarted 'potential active shooter' outside church in Virginia
View
Date:2025-04-26 09:31:57
A Virginia man was arrested at a church after allegedly being found inside with a loaded semi-automatic pistol with an additional magazine, a folding knife and a folding "credit card"-style knife, according to police.
Fairfax County police arrested 35-year-old Rui Jiang after becoming tipped off by a Maryland woman who called Anne Arundel Police to report that Jiang allegedly made suspicious posts that inlcuded "vague threats" on Instagram, according to the police report.
Fairfax Police Chief Kevin Davis said, "This was a thwarted diabolical plot to kill churchgoers in Haymarket, Virginia, and local law enforcement stopped it.”
MORE: 10 dead, 10 wounded in mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, with suspect found dead
Anne Arundel Police alerted Fairfax Couty police that Jiang allegedly made threats against the Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Virginia,
"In the postings, vague threats of violence were made, some of which included images of a location later determined to be Park Valley Church," Prince William County police said.
Police were able to quickly locate Jiang's assumed residence in Falls Church, Virginia, but found he wasn't home, according to the police report.
As the investigation continued, Fairfax County police contacted Prince William County police and an off-duty, uniformed Prince William County police officer who was working an assignment at the Park Valley Church located the car outside, police said.
Police at the church identified a suspicious person who they later identified as Jiang. He was detained after entering the building through a separate door.
No one was injured during the incident however, Fairfax County Police say they later discovered Jiang's "disturbing" "kill manifesto," at his home. However, police did not describe what was found in the alleged document.
Jiang was charged with threats of bodily harm and carrying a dangerous weapon in a place of religious worship.
Jiang's bond hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning, it wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment.
Prince William County police have asked anyone with information leading up to this incident, please call 703-792-7000.
veryGood! (87286)
Related
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Chevron’s ‘Black Lives Matter’ Tweet Prompts a Debate About Big Oil and Environmental Justice
- A Chick-fil-A location is fined for giving workers meals instead of money
- 'Can I go back to my regular job?' Sports anchor goes viral for blizzard coverage
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- India Is Now Investing More in Solar than Coal, but Will Its Energy Shift Continue?
- With Lengthening Hurricane Season, Meteorologists Will Ditch Greek Names and Start Forecasts Earlier
- Amy Schumer Trolls Sociopath Hilaria Baldwin Over Spanish Heritage Claims & von Trapp Amount of Kids
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- The Postal Service pledges to move to an all-electric delivery fleet
Ranking
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Style Meets Function With These 42% Off Deals From Shay Mitchell's Béis
- Tree Deaths in Urban Settings Are Linked to Leaks from Natural Gas Pipelines Below Streets
- Warming Trends: Green Grass on the Ski Slopes, Covid-19 Waste Kills Animals and the Virtues and Vulnerabilities of Big Old Trees
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Besieged by Protesters Demanding Racial Justice, Trump Signs Order Waiving Environmental Safeguards
- Market Headwinds Buffet Appalachia’s Future as a Center for Petrochemicals
- Fiancée speaks out after ex-boyfriend shoots and kills her husband-to-be: My whole world was taken away
Recommendation
New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
Soccer legend Megan Rapinoe announces she will retire after 2023 season
Massachusetts lawmakers target affirmative action for the wealthy
Virginia joins several other states in banning TikTok on government devices
Small twin
Connecticut Passed an Environmental Justice Law 12 Years Ago, but Not That Much Has Changed
Q&A: An Environmental Justice Champion’s Journey From Rural Alabama to Biden’s Climate Task Force
Taylor Swift releases Speak Now: Taylor's Version with previously unreleased tracks and a change to a lyric