Investigators said they were able to stop the potential massacre at Park Valley Church in Haymarket thanks to someone who saw troubling posts on Instagram and called police
Authorities arrested a man who they say was minutes away from carrying out a mass shooting at a church in Northern Virginia on Sunday morning.
Rui Jiang, 35, was taken into custody with a loaded gun and extra ammo at Park Valley Church in Haymarket. Authorities said he was on a mission to kill.
“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.”
Never fails to amaze me how someone can completely disregard the hard work and sacrifice of other human beings and instead praise an imaginary skyguy.
Same imaginary skygod who put them in harms way to begin with. Never did understand.
No, no: that’s the other skyguy. We’re like the kids in a bitter divorce, constantly bounced between a good parent and a bad parent, with no actual agency. Except to thank good skyguy, otherwise they might not protect us from bad skyguy next time.
Skyguy whims sometimes feel arbitrary and capricious, but there’s divine or diabolical intent, which means it’s way better than being lost to the randomness of chaotic but determinate natural forces. How terrifying would the world be if stuff just happened for no reason?
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I think you mean undergroundguy
Um…
Weird how they never thank god for the successful attacks.
Exactly, if God prevented this attack, it means he wanted the successful ones to take place. He really works in mysterious ways…
Dramas get boring when nothing bad happens. Hes just making our lives a bit interesting and sometimes end it all.
But also he would know for sure that heaven exists so the fact he saves some people should be seen as an insult, survive near death a few times? God really doesn’t want to hang out with you
They didn’t pray hard enough.
Man, I know a woman who got COVID bad and got a double lung transplant. Not a word about any of her doctors or other care staff that kept her alive while on a ventilator for 6 month. Not even a mention once. But it was constant “look at the power of prayer” and “thank the good lord for my recovery” and shit like that.
Which is hilarious considering how many “good Christians” died for refusing the vaccine. Confirmation bias in action!
Even when I was a theist I still made a point of thanking doctors and nurses. Everyone can get credit.
Yep I can’t stand this. What about the little girl who dies of cancer? God didn’t feel like protecting her?
Fuck off
Well, if he’s consistent with his behavior in the Bible, it’s not that he failed to protect her. He killed her himself
And if all those people were shot up, you can be damn sure they wouldn’t be saying it’s thanks to God. Mass of idiots.
It’s a mistake to dismiss religious people as stupid, but they really make it hard not to sometimes.
That’s an odd way to spell “natural reflex”, but it’s close.
Because they’re not stupid; or at least, that’s not why they’re religious. Sadly, religious indoctrination can affect even brilliant minds.
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God, when he fails to prevent all the other mass shootings that happened in places of worship:
“Lol that was part of my plan, too.”
“That’s not a plan! You’re just a jerk!” -Jerry
I inka dinka binka bonka understood this reference.
“Why does God’s plan involve so many priests molesting alter boys?”
And needing 10% of my money?
And what does God need with a starship?
Cops should have just said, “Oh, it’s at a church? God’s got it handled,” and went back to speed traps.
They let students handle it at schools
Protect and serve*.
*Some terms and conditions apply.
Operation student shield
I mean, it is a church. I think it’s stupid, but it’s not like it’s a car dealership. What do you think they’re going to say?
Repoter: So, the police arrested a gunman moments away from shooting up your dealership. What are your thoughts?
Dealer: It was wild. Absolutely crazy… Almost as crazy as ThEse CraZy deAls We’vE GoT RigHt nOW. JUst cHeCk Out ThE PriCe oN ThiS '88 MaliBu. It’S CrAaaaZy!
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Fair point!
In his actual statement he thanked the police and everyone involved. NBC Washington felt that only the snippet thanking God was worth reporting.
Thanks for clarifying
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Police don’t have a particularly good track record at prevention; they are rather famous for showing up after the crime has happened. I think giving crediting a higher power for the miracle that they proactively stopped a shooter before the shooting started kinda fits.
I also think it’s reasonable that folks who believe in a deity that theoretically protects them would thank that deity when they feel protected. I somehow doubt the cops on scene lacked for any expression of thanks because everyone was too busy praying.
They did thank everyone involved, the news didn’t report on it. Hope you feel stupid for saying that.
Snips knew better than to praise Skyguy… eventually
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