International Courant
Federal prosecutors have taken over the case towards a Northern Virginia man who was arrested final 12 months on suspicion that he was about to commit a mass capturing at a megachurch.
Native prosecutors in Prince William County on Tuesday dropped expenses towards Rui Jiang, 35, of Falls Church, together with one depend of tried aggravated homicide of a number of individuals. That paves the way in which for his prosecution in U.S. District Court docket in Alexandria, the place Jiang was just lately charged with making interstate threats.
VENEZELIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED FROM SEXUAL ASSAULT AT 14 YEARS OLD IN VIRGINIA
A conviction on federal expenses can typically end in longer jail sentences than a conviction on state expenses, however not all the time.
Jiang was arrested on September 24 at Park Valley Church in Haymarket, the place a police officer found that Jiang had entered the church throughout Sunday companies armed with a gun and a knife. Police acted on a tip they acquired a number of hours earlier, and companies appreciated the fast cooperation between a number of regulation enforcement companies in stopping a possible tragedy.
A 33-page affidavit filed in federal courtroom final week gives new particulars concerning the day’s quickly evolving investigation.
The preliminary tip got here from a lady Jiang met on a courting app earlier in 2023, the affidavit stated. The girl had stopped speaking with Jiang months earlier, however noticed social media posts that she discovered alarming, together with imprecise threats towards the church saying, “There may be blood in your fingers,” and pictures of a burning Bible .
A Northern Virginia man was arrested final 12 months on suspicion of committing mass shootings at a megachurch. Federal prosecutors have taken over the case.
Police in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, interviewed the lady on the morning of the twenty fourth and rapidly contacted Fairfax County police, who checked at his residence to see if Jiang was current, in response to the affidavit.
When officers could not discover him, they contacted Prince William County police. In line with the affidavit, an off-duty officer dealing with visitors on the church was alerted. By then, church safety personnel had already seen Jiang and have become involved about his conduct, which included tapping on glass and different actions that appeared to “entice the church,” the affidavit stated.
Church safety escorted Jiang out of the constructing simply because the officer approached the entrance of the church. The officer interviewed, disarmed and detained Jiang earlier than formally arresting him.
In line with the affidavit, Jiang had been a member of the church since April and had given the church a donation of greater than $450 in June as a part of a tithing problem. Two days earlier than his arrest, he despatched an e mail to the church demanding a refund, saying his life had gotten worse since he made the donation. The church gave Jiang his a reimbursement the subsequent day, in response to the affidavit.
Police searched Jiang’s residence and located a number of copies of a one-page typed word through which Jiang claimed he had been a authorities murderer for greater than a decade, and stated: “To the households of these males who’re about to be murdered – I’m sorry for what I’ve performed and what I’m going to do.”
He additionally stated he had no intention of harming ladies and apologized prematurely for any “collateral harm” towards ladies. He stated he could not have skilled a “romantic relationship.”
In interviews with police, Jiang advised officers he was indignant with God, however denied he deliberate to kill anybody. He admitted to being armed at church, however stated he had a hid carry allow and was typically armed.
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Tracey Lenox, the general public defender assigned to symbolize Jiang in Prince William County, stated after Tuesday’s listening to that she was dissatisfied the case had been designated for federal prosecution and wished it might have been resolved in state courtroom. She declined to remark intimately on the proof or Jiang’s psychological well being, however stated she believes Jiang has “good defenses” towards the fees.
