UPDATE: A man has been arrested with a Molotov cocktail outside St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C., just hours before a significant Mass to mark the beginning of the Supreme Court term. Authorities report that 41-year-old Louis Geri from Vineland, New Jersey, was taken into custody on October 1, 2023, after he set up a tent and refused to leave the premises.
Metropolitan police confirmed Geri had been previously barred from the Cathedral, although the reasons remain unclear. Officers discovered multiple suspicious items in his tent, including vials of liquid and potential fireworks, prompting a response from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team and the Arson Task Force. The FBI also arrived at the scene following reports of an individual in possession of explosives.
Geri now faces serious charges, including unlawful entry, threats to kidnap or injure a person, and possession of a Molotov cocktail. The motive behind his presence at the Cathedral is still under investigation.
St. Matthew’s Cathedral was preparing for the Red Mass, an annual event that traditionally marks the start of the U.S. Supreme Court term, although no justices were present at the service. The Supreme Court has recently been under heightened scrutiny due to an increase in threats and violence against its members, particularly in the wake of the controversial decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Just days prior to this incident, a California man was sentenced to eight years in prison for the attempted assassination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who has openly discussed the ongoing threats, emphasized in a CBS News interview that she refuses to live in fear, stating, “You can’t live your life in fear.”
This alarming arrest underscores the escalating tensions surrounding the Supreme Court and the societal climate as political discourse continues to heat up. With the investigation ongoing, authorities will be monitoring the situation closely.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops.
