OAN’s James Meyers
8:03 AM – Tuesday, September 26, 2023
A Virginia man was arrested for suspicious online postings involving a local church during their Sunday services.
Police announced the arrest of 35-year-old Rui Jiang on Monday after responding to Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Virginia, on Sunday, and found him in possession of a loaded firearm with an additional magazine, a folding knife, and another folding “credit card” style knife, according to Fox 5 DC.
Three police departments across Virginia and Maryland were involved in the investigation that led to Jiang being taken into custody.
The 35-year-old has been charged with threats of bodily harm and carrying a dangerous weapon to a place of religious worship, he is currently being held without bond.
The investigation began on Sunday after a concerned resident reported suspicious social media posts allegedly made by Jiang that suggested he “might have been planning on attacking a church,” which turned out to be Park Valley Church in Prince William County, Virginia.
An off-duty Prince William County officer working a detail assignment at the church located Jiang’s car in the church’s parking lot, according to Prince William County police.
The officer coordinated with church staff, who were monitoring a suspicious person on the premises, when Jiang was finally taken into custody near the church’s entrance without incident.
“Law enforcement credits the concerned citizen who contacted police regarding these suspicious online postings, joint law enforcement efforts from multiple police agencies, and the staff of Park Valley Church for their vigilance,” Prince William County police said in the news release.
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