Threat of violence causes Supreme Court justices to skip DC mass for opening of new term as NJ man arrested with Molotov cocktail

A New Jersey man was taken into custody early Sunday morning ahead of a high-profile mass in Washington, DC after and was found in possession of a Molotov Cocktail. The Sunday mass, called the Red Mass, marks the Sunday before the first day of the Supreme Court’s new term in October, which started on Monday.

Due to security concerns, no Supreme Court justices attended this year’s event, per the National Catholic Reporter. The mass was delayed for around 20 minutes before attendees were allowed inside through a side door.

The Metropolitan Police Department announced that shortly after 6 am on Sunday, officers assigned to a detail for the Red Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in downtown DC engaged with a man who had set up a tent on the cathedral’s steps and was determined to have been previously barred from the premises.

Police said that during the arrest, officers "observed multiple suspicious items, including vials of liquid and possible fireworks, inside of the suspect’s tent. Members of MPD’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team and the Arson Task Force responded to the scene to search the suspect’s belongings."

41-year-old Louis Geri of Vineland, New Jersey has been charged with unlawful entry, threats to kidnap or injure a person, and possession of a Molotov cocktail.

Per the cathedral, "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. Its purpose is to invoke God's blessings on those responsible for the administration of justice as well as on all public officials."