With just minutes to spare, Maryland and Virginia police thwart mass church shooting

With just minutes to spare, Maryland and Virginia police thwart mass church shooting

Richard Webster Crime & Courts, Domestic Terrorism, Guns, Lifestyle, Local, Mugshots, Police, Public Health and Safety, Religion, Social Media, Top News, Video, Violent Crimes, Weapons
Ace News Today - With just minutes to spare, Maryland and Virginia police thwart mass church shooting
(Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Va.)

Yesterday, two police departments in Virginia, the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) and Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD) worked in tandem with neighboring Maryland’s Anne Arundel County Police Department (AACoPD) when reacting to a tip from a community member about a man threatening harm to a Haymarket, Virginia, church.  The three departments were able to come together and act swiftly to stop a potential active shooter situation. 

The police tip came in Sunday morning when a concerned citizen saw threatening posts coming from the Instagram account of 35-year-old Rui Jiang of Bailey’s Crossroads.  Several of the messages showed an image of Jiang pointing a firearm at pictures of churches.  Police say that they caught up with Jiang just minutes prior to a potential church mass shooting.

“This was a thwarted diabolical plot to kill churchgoers in Haymarket, Virginia … and local law enforcement stopped it,” Chief Kevin Davis of the Fairfax County Police Department said. 

“Minutes. Minutes. The congregation was making their way into the church. He was in the vestibule of the church about to enter,” Davis said. “So, minutes or seconds away.”  ~  NBC News, Washington

(Image credit: FCPD)

  • At 7:40 a.m. a community member saw the concerning posts and notified AAPCoD. AACoPD officers determined Jiang was a Fairfax County resident and immediately requested a welfare check of his residence.
  • At 9:22 a.m., FCPD received the welfare check. Mason Patrol officers responded to his home in the 5600 block of Seminary Road. They determined Jiang was not home. Based on the messages shared on Instagram, officers believed Jiang was at the Park Valley Church in Haymarket.
  • At 10 a.m. officers requested PWCPD officers to immediately respond to the Park Valley Church area to search for Jiang. Recognizing the severity of the situation, an FCPD Lieutenant contacted PWCPD directly to relay the information.
  • At 10:12 a.m., Jiang had arrived at the church and was taken into custody shortly after by Prince William County police.

WJLA reports that following his arrest, Jiang was allegedly found to be armed with a loaded handgun, additional ammo, a folding knife, and a folding “credit card” style knife – according to police.

Detectives from the Fairfax County Police Department’s Threat Assessment Management (TAM) Unit have been assigned to assist with the investigation.

TAM detectives assisted with the execution of a search warrant at Jiang’s home. Evidence supporting Jiang’s intent to cause harm was recovered from the scene. Detectives will work with our multidisciplinary team to determine the appropriate resources for threat mitigation and management of the case.

Jiang is being charged with threats of bodily harm and carrying a dangerous weapon to a place of religious worship, according to WUSA-9.

For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.

–

(Source: FCPD)  /  (Rui Jiang booking photo, Image credit: PWCPD)

~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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