Man accused of mass shooting attempt at Virginia church ruled competent to stand trial

Associated Press

A judge has ruled that a northern Virginia man is competent to stand trial after he was arrested last year on suspicion that he was about to embark on a mass shooting at a megachurch. Federal judge Rossie Alston set an October trial date for Rui Jiang of Falls Church after holding a competency hearing Wednesday in Alexandria. Prosecutors say Jiang intended to shoot congregation members of the Park Valley Church in Haymarket in September 2023. He was arrested during Sunday services at the church after a former girlfriend called police and alerted them to disturbing social media posts. Court documents indicate he left saying he was mad at God for blocking him from having romantic relationships with women.