Man arrested outside St. Matthew’s Cathedral with 'multiple suspicious items' in tent: police

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Metropolitan Police arrested a man outside St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C., early Sunday morning after police said they found suspicious materials inside a tent he had set up on the church’s steps.

The church was set to host several key political and legal leaders hours later for the annual Red Mass. The event often draws important dignitaries from DC’s legal community, historically including Supreme Court justices. This service happens every year at the beginning of the Supreme Court’s judicial year. 

What we know:

Officers found Louis Geri, 41, of Vineland, New Jersey, on the steps of the Cathedral around 6 a.m. He had previously been barred from the premises. When he refused to leave, police arrested him without any issues.

During the arrest, officers discovered suspicious items in Geri's tent, including vials of liquid and what appeared to be fireworks. The MPD’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal team and the Arson Task Force were called to examine these items. 

"This is a church, and not everybody that goes to church believes in God or is a Christian, but we have a right to move about, day to day, and it should be respected," Dr. Joanna Showell, a woman visiting D.C., told FOX 5 D.C.'s David Kaplan. 

The area was secured, and authorities assured the public that there was no ongoing threat to safety. Geri is facing preliminary charges of unlawful entry, threats to kidnap or injure a person and possession of a Molotov cocktail. 

The investigation continues in collaboration with the Joint Terrorism Task Force, FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

What we don't know:

It is not yet clear what Geri's intentions were or how he came to possess the items found in his tent. Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.