Police arrested a 41-year-old New Jersey man outside Washington’s Saint Matthew’s Cathedral early Sunday after officers discovered a makeshift campsite containing a Molotov cocktail and vials of liquid on the steps of the landmark church.
Louis Geri of Vineland was taken into custody without incident shortly before 6 a.m. when members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Red Mass security detail found him in a tent on the cathedral entrance. Officials said Geri had previously been barred from the property and refused orders to leave.
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit and Arson Task Force were called to examine the suspicious items, and the 1700 block of Rhode Island Avenue NW was sealed off while investigators worked. Authorities later confirmed there was “no ongoing threat to public safety.”
Shortly before 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 5, 2025, Metropolitan Police Department members assigned to a detail for the Red Mass at Saint Matthew’s Cathedral engaged an individual who had set up a tent on the steps of the cathedral.
Geri has been charged with unlawful entry, threats to kidnap or injure, and possession of an incendiary device. The FBI, Joint Terrorism Task Force, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting MPD with the investigation.
The Red Mass—an annual service marking the opening of the Supreme Court term—proceeded as scheduled inside the cathedral while officers processed the scene. Police have not disclosed a possible motive and are asking anyone who notices suspicious activity to call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.