PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) — The Prince William County Police Department (PWPD) said officers arrested 35-year-old Rui Jiang of Falls Church Monday after he made online threats about a church.
Police said that at about 10:10 a.m., they responded to Park Valley Church at 4500 Waverly Farm Dr. in Haymarket to investigate a possible violent threat.
PWPD received notice from Fairfax County police that a person in Laurel, Maryland had reported “suspicious and concerning online postings on Instagram.” Anne Arundel County police had notified Fairfax County police about this.
Police said the online postings included vague threats of violence, some of which included images of a location that was later identified to be Park Valley Church. Investigators later identified the person making these posts as Jiang.
Officers were able to find an address for Jiang in Falls Church and immediately contacted Fairfax County police. Fairfax County police went to the home, but the suspect was not there.
Prince William County officers went to the location of the church to see if the suspect was there. Police found Jiang’s car in the parking lot. At the same time, staff at the church were monitoring a suspicious person who police later determined to be Jiang.
Police detained him nearby without incident.
Jiang had apparently gotten into the building through a separate door and had been inside before officers stopped him. Church services were going on at the time, but no injuries were reported.
Police found a loaded handgun as well as an additional magazine, a folding knife, and a folding “credit card” style knife.
Police arrested Jiang and charged him with threats of bodily harm and carrying a dangerous weapon to a place of religious worship. He was held without bond.