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Accident – Death – Obituary News :
A man who allegedly attempted to attack a church in Virginia during a worship service while carrying a gun and two knives is now facing a new charge of attempted aggravated murder. Rui Jiang, a 35-year-old resident of Falls Church, was arrested outside Park Valley Church in Haymarket back in September after reportedly making online threats against the congregation.
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The Prince William County Police Department announced on Tuesday that it would be adding the charge of attempted aggravated murder to the previous charges of carrying a dangerous weapon to a place of worship and making threats of bodily harm. This new charge stems from the ongoing investigation and analysis of digital evidence obtained during the search warrant executed at Jiang’s residence in Falls Church, according to authorities.
Authorities stated, “Based upon the recent analysis of the digital evidence, physical evidence collected at the time, and the social media postings on accounts used by the accused depicting the church with threatening language, indications were the accused intended to cause harm, injury, and death to the church congregation.”
Jiang was served with the new charge on Monday and is currently being held at the Prince William Adult Detention Center, as confirmed by local authorities.
In September, Jiang had made vague threats against Park Valley Church, including posts on Instagram that were reported to authorities by a resident of Maryland. During a Sunday worship service, an off-duty police officer working at the church noticed Jiang’s vehicle parked on the premises, and others saw him on the property.
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Jiang had entered the church but was apprehended without violence by the off-duty officer and church staff members. He was found in possession of a legally purchased handgun, an extra ammunition magazine, and two knives.
The Prince William County Police Department collaborated with the Fairfax County Police Department and the Anne Arundel County Police Department of Maryland to coordinate their efforts in this case.
In a statement released by the Fairfax County authorities, they explained that the swift actions taken by multiple police departments “were able to stop a potential active shooter.” Detectives from the Threat Assessment Management Unit have been assisting with the ongoing investigation since the arrest, and evidence supporting Jiang’s intent to cause harm was recovered from the scene.
Last week, the United States Department of Homeland Security published a guide titled “Physical Security Performance Goals for Faith-Based Communities” with the aim of helping churches enhance their security measures. Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, expressed her hope that this guide would assist in establishing or improving security practices to ensure the safety and security of houses of worship and congregants.
Easterly wrote, “CISA remains fully committed to its longstanding partnership with faith-based leaders to advance the protection of houses of worship while preserving their open and welcoming environments.”
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