Man arrested outside Washington, DC, cathedral allegedly had a Molotov cocktail: Police

[ad_1] A 41-year-old man was arrested on Sunday exterior the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., on costs of possessing a Molotov cocktail and making threats to kidnap or injure folks, in keeping with police.

The incident comes one week after a person rammed his pickup truck into the entrance of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, and opened fireplace with an assault rifle, killing 4 worshipers and injuring eight others. The suspect was killed in a shootout with police after he set the chapel on fireplace, burning it to the bottom, authorities mentioned.

A person arrested, October 5, 2025, exterior the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C. (pictured right here), was allegedly in possession of Molotov Cocktail and vials of an unknown liquid, police mentioned.

James Leynse/Corbis by way of Getty Photographs

Cops had been already on scene offering safety for a particular Mass on Sunday once they encountered the suspect round 6 a.m., pitching a tent on the entrance entrance to the cathedral, in keeping with a police assertion.

"Officers decided that the person was beforehand barred from the premises of the Cathedral. The person refused to vacate the premises and was positioned underneath arrest with out incident," in keeping with the assertion from the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Division.

The suspect was recognized as 41-year-old Louis Geri, whose final identified handle is Vineland, New Jersey, in keeping with police.

Whereas arresting Geri, officers noticed the suspect had "a number of suspicious gadgets" inside his tent, together with vials of liquid, in keeping with police.

The police division's bomb squad and its Arson Activity Pressure had been known as to the scene to conduct a better search of the suspect's belongings.

Geri was arrested on costs of illegal entry, threats to kidnap or injure an individual, and possession of a Molotov Cocktail, in keeping with police.

The FBI, the police division's Joint Terrorism Activity Pressure and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had been persevering with to research the incident Sunday afternoon.

The scene was secured and there's no menace to public security, in keeping with police.

The incident occurred because the cathedral was getting ready to have fun its 73rd annual Pink Mass on Sunday. In keeping with the cathedral's web site, the particular Mass is historically celebrated on the Sunday earlier than the primary Monday in October, which marks the opening of the Supreme Courtroom's annual time period.

The aim of the Mass, in keeping with the cathedral's web site, is to "invoke God's blessings on these chargeable for the administration of justice in addition to on all public officers."

In keeping with the cathedral's web site, the Pink Mass has beforehand been attended by chief justices and affiliate justices of the Supreme Courtroom, in addition to members of Congress and different federal and state leaders.

The funeral for President John F. Kennedy was held on the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle on Nov. 25, 1963. Throughout his September 2015 go to to Washington, D.C., the late Pope Francis visited the cathedral for noon prayer.