Washington, D.C., police on Sunday arrested a person outside of a local cathedral before a high-profile Red Mass.

“Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) members assigned to a detail for the Red Mass at Saint Matthew’s Cathedral engaged an individual who set up a tent on the steps of the Cathedral,” MPD said in a Sunday statement.

“Officers determined that the individual was previously barred from the premises of the Cathedral. The individual refused to vacate the premises and was placed under arrest without incident,” the statement continued. 

Officers spotted “multiple suspicious items” in the tent while arresting the suspect, according to MPD, which included potential fireworks and liquid-filled vials. MPD also stated that public safety was not threatened, with the scene being “secured.”

Police described the suspect as Louis Geri, 41, from Vineland, N.J., who is now facing charges of unlawful entry, threats to kidnap or injure a person, and possession of a Molotov cocktail.

According to the John Carroll Society, a local Catholic organization that sponsors the Mass, presidents, the Supreme Court chief justice and other Supreme Court justices have been among its attendees in the past.

“The Red Mass is celebrated annually at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, traditionally on the Sunday before the first Monday in October, which marks the opening of the Supreme Court’s annual term,” a description on the cathedral’s website reads.

“Its purpose is to invoke God’s blessings on those responsible for the administration of justice as well as on all public officials,” the description continues. 

, 2025-10-05 19:41:00, , TheHill.com Just In, %%https://thehill.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/cropped-favicon-512px-1.png?w=32, https://thehill.com/homenews/feed/, Tara Suter