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Man arrested after police seize Molotov cocktails, explosives outside D.C. cathedral

by Lydia Davies
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D.C. Metropolitan Police Department

A man has been arrested outside a Washington, D.C. cathedral shortly after police discovered around 200 homemade explosives in his tent.

The suspect, 41-year-old New Jersey resident Louis Geri, was detained on Sunday outside the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, just hours before a high-profile Red Mass service was scheduled to begin.

Police said Geri, who had previously been banned from the area, refused to leave after setting up a tent nearby.

According to D.C. police, officers discovered “multiple suspicious items, including vials of liquid and possible fireworks, inside the suspect’s tent.”

A police statement said bomb disposal and arson teams “secured the scene” and confirmed there was “no threat to public safety.”

Investigators later uncovered approximately 200 devices, including Molotov cocktails and bottle rockets, according to The Washington Post.

Geri has been charged with possession of a Molotov cocktail, making threats to harm others, and unlawful entry.

He was ordered to remain in custody without bond while the FBI, ATF, and Joint Terrorism Task Force continue the investigation.

Court documents state that Geri had expressed hostility toward U.S. Supreme Court justices, the Catholic Church, Jewish people, and immigration authorities.

The Red Mass went ahead as planned, although several Supreme Court justices who were expected to attend reportedly stayed away following the incident.

The centuries-old Red Mass marks the start of the judicial year and is held “in honor of those who practice law,” according to the Archdiocese of Washington. It is named for “the color of the liturgical vestments worn by the celebrants and the color of fire, a symbol of the Holy Spirit.”

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