Police arrested a New Jersey man Sunday morning after finding a Molotov cocktail in his tent outside a Washington, D.C. cathedral hours before a service attended by Supreme Court justices and government officials.
Louis Geri, 41, of Vineland, set up camp on the steps of the Cathedral of St. Matthew’s The Apostle and refused orders to leave around 6 a.m., the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said. Officers said they discovered vials of liquid and possible fireworks during his arrest.
Authorities charged Geri with unlawful entry, threats to kidnap or injure a person and possession of a Molotov cocktail. Police said the cathedral had previously banned him from the property but did not explain why.
The Red Mass began three hours later at 9 a.m. The annual service brings together Supreme Court justices, judges and attorneys to mark the start of the court’s term. The tradition has continued in Washington since 1953. (RELATED: Karoline Leavitt Confirms Suspect In Michigan Church Shooting ‘Hated People Of The Mormon Faith’)
The Metropolitan Police Department releases a statement regarding an arrest made outside of St. Matthew’s Cathedral this morning.
Read here: https://t.co/lMr6FeJAXo pic.twitter.com/V5bl2Gkq9U
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) October 5, 2025
Archbishop Robert McElroy addressed political violence during his remarks inside the cathedral.
“We have witnessed the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the assault on the U.S. Capitol,” the cardinal said from the lectern, WUSA reported. “Both mark the progression from civil dialogue to uncivil dialogue to force and fear.”
MPD’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal team and the Arson Task Force removed the suspicious materials. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined the investigation.
Police did not release information about Geri’s possible motive or why he had the Molotov cocktail. The department secured the scene and said no threat to the public remained.