HAYMARKET, Va. — A Virginia man was convicted Thursday of attempting to obstruct a church congregation’s religious practices through a violent attack, federal prosecutors announced.
After a four-day trial, a federal jury found Rui Jiang, of Falls Church, guilty of attempting to obstruct the congregants of a Haymarket church in the free exercise of their religious beliefs. The charge included the use of a dangerous weapon and an attempt to kill. Jiang was also convicted of transmitting online threats and a firearms violation.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Jiang began posting threats online on the evening of Sept. 23, 2023, explicitly stating his intention to kill church members. On the morning of Sept. 24, police, alerted by a concerned citizen, began searching for Jiang and found him armed inside the church’s front entrance while services were underway. He was carrying a semiautomatic handgun with two full magazines and had an additional 34 rounds of ammunition in his car.
A search of Jiang’s apartment uncovered five signed copies of a letter, one of which read, “To the families of those men about to be slain – I am sorry for what I have done and about to do (sic).”
Jiang was arrested by Prince William County Police on Sept. 24 and has remained in custody since.
He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of life. Sentencing is set for June 18.
Jiang’s conviction underscores the severity of hate-motivated threats and violence against religious communities.
