Fact Check: Man sentenced to 25 years for plotting mass shooting at Virginia church
What We Know
On June 25, 2025, Rui Jiang, a 36-year-old man from Fairfax, Virginia, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempting to carry out a mass shooting at the Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Virginia. This sentence also includes five years of supervised release following his prison term. Jiang was convicted by a jury in March 2025 after evidence showed he had posted online threats indicating his intention to kill congregants at the church on September 23, 2023. The following day, he was found at the church armed with a semiautomatic handgun, two magazines of ammunition, and knives, which he had brought with him during a Sunday service (Justice.gov, WUSA9).
During the investigation, police discovered a manifesto in Jiang's apartment that expressed his violent intentions. U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert emphasized the importance of the freedom to worship without fear and condemned Jiang's actions as a violation of this principle (Justice.gov, WTOP).
Analysis
The claim that a man was sentenced to 25 years for plotting a mass shooting at a Virginia church is supported by multiple reliable sources. The U.S. Department of Justice, which provided a detailed account of the case, is a credible source, as it directly involves federal law enforcement and judicial proceedings. The press release outlines Jiang's actions, the timeline of events, and the legal consequences he faced (Justice.gov).
Other news outlets, such as WTOP and WUSA9, corroborate the details of the case, including Jiang's conviction and the specifics of the threats he made online. These sources provide consistent information regarding the timeline and the nature of Jiang's threats, reinforcing the reliability of the claim (WTOP, WUSA9).
The evidence presented during the trial, including Jiang's manifesto and the police's swift response to a concerned citizen's report, underscores the seriousness of his intentions and the potential tragedy that was averted (Justice.gov, WUSA9).
Conclusion
The claim that Rui Jiang was sentenced to 25 years for plotting a mass shooting at a Virginia church is True. The evidence from multiple credible sources confirms that Jiang's actions were serious and premeditated, leading to his conviction and subsequent sentencing.
Sources
- Fairfax man sentenced for attempted church shooting
- Virginia Man Sentenced for Attempted Church Shooting
- Man who plotted mass shooting at church in Haymarket sentenced to 25 years in prison
- Virginia man sentenced to 25 years for church shooting plot
- Va. man gets 25-year prison sentence for attempted mass shooting at a church
- Man convicted of attempted mass shooting at Virginia church sentenced
