HAYMARKET, Va. β A Baileys Crossroads man who police say made threats against a church was arrested inside of that church with a loaded gun, the Prince William County Police Department said Monday.
Rui Jiang, 35, is charged with threats of bodily harm and carrying a dangerous weapon to a place of religious worship.
It all began Sunday morning, around 7:40 a.m. Anne Arundel County Police say they received a call from a concerned community member about some posts Jiang allegedly made on his Instagram account.
They discovered he lived in Fairfax County and contacted the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD).
Around 9:20 a.m., FCPD says officers went to his home at Skyline Towers, but couldn't find him.
Due to his posts, they determined he was likely at Park Valley Church in Haymarket. They contacted Prince William County Police.
According to Prince William County Police, the Fairfax County Police Department contacted them after FCPD received information from police in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. That tip concerned a man living in Laurel who reported that a Falls Church man had posted "suspicious and concerning" things on Instagram.
An off-duty Prince William County Police officer working an assignment at Park Valley Church located the suspect's vehicle in the church parking lot. At the same time, staff at the church were monitoring a suspicious person who was on the premises.
"He was dressed in all black and wearing sunglasses," said Pastor Barry White from Park Valley Church in Haymarket.
White says there were about 1,000 people in the auditorium for services at the time. The off-duty officer and church staff coordinated and detained the man near the entrance without incident.
"Lives were saved, period," said White.
Police say they found a loaded handgun, an additional magazine, a folding knife, and a folding βcredit cardβ style knife on Jiang.
He was arrested on charges of threats of bodily harm and carrying a dangerous weapon to a place of religious worship. He's being held without bond.
According to police, Jiang apparently entered the church through a separate door and had been inside the location prior to being stopped.
"He was in the auditorium sitting in the back row," said White.
He says the safety team confronted Jiang just as police arrived on the scene.
"We don't even want to imagine what could have happened," said Prince William County Police Sgt. Jonathan Perok.
Police say after Jiang was in custody they got a warrant for his home.
"We found a kill manifesto, the likes of which I've never read. It's disturbing," said Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis.
White says he's grateful, not only to police but to the person who reported the threatening posts.
"I cannot thank them enough. I can't thank them enough for their courage. For not taking the easy route and saying 'I'll do nothing.' They saw something, they said something," said White.
When asked about Jiang, White shared "We love everyone. Our hope is that he gets the help he needs."
White says this weekend will be their 20th anniversary, and they're grateful they'll get to celebrate it.
"For 20 years God has protected us and this is an example of that in HD," he said.
An Emergency Substantial Risk Order (ESRO) and a search warrant for Jiang's home in Falls Church were obtained, and related documents and electronic items were seized, but no additional firearms were located.
Jiang has a concealed weapon permit, according to police.
Anyone who may have had previous contact with Jiang leading up to the incident at the church is asked to contact Prince William County police at (703) 792-7000.