An armed man who posted threatening messages on social media and was suspected of planning a mass shooting at a Virginia church during service was convicted of a hate crime on Thursday, officials said.
The man, Rui Jiang, 36, was found guilty of three charges, including attempting to obstruct congregants’ free exercise of religious beliefs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said.
He was also found guilty of a firearms violation and transmitting online threats, prosecutors said.
Mr. Jiang faces life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years, when he is sentenced on June 18.
Lawyers for Mr. Jiang declined to comment on Friday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia also declined to comment.
Mr. Jiang was arrested at the Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Va., on Sept. 24, 2023, after a tip about troubling social media posts led the police to him.
Barry White, a senior pastor at the Park Valley church said at the time that there were about 1,000 people in the church. Mr. Jiang was found inside the entrance to the church with a loaded handgun during a Sunday service, according to prosecutors.
