Man arrested with Molotov cocktail at Washington cathedral

Metropolitan Police Department officers on Sunday morning arrested Louis Geri of Vineland, N.J. on the steps of St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Geri set up a tent on the steps, with vials of liquid and possible fireworks inside, and refused to leave, police said. Geri had previously been banned from the cathedral, police said.

The cathedral was scheduled to hold its annual Red Mass a few hours later. The service marks the start of the Supreme Court’s next term and is held annually to ask for God’s blessings on those who administer justice, according to the cathedral’s website. Six out of the nine U.S. Supreme Court Justices are practicing Catholics. No Supreme Court justices were present on Sunday, though some have attended the Mass in the past, according to CNN.

What is Geri charged with? He faces preliminary charges of unlawful entry, threats to kidnap or injure a person, and possession of a Molotov cocktail. The Joint Terrorism Task Force, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were assisting police in the investigation, police said.

What about the recent trial of a would-be Brett Kavanaugh assassin? Justice Deborah Boardman on Friday sentenced Nicholas Roske to 97 months—over eight years—in prison. Roske was also sentenced to lifelong supervised release, according to Roll Call. The man, who identifies as a woman and uses the name Sophie, in 2022 traveled from California to Kavanaugh’s Maryland neighborhood and planned to kill him. He purchased weapons for the purpose. But then Roske left the scene, called 911, and disclosed his plans, according to court documents. Boardman gave Roske a lighter sentence than the recommended 30 years because he decided to walk away, according to Roll Call.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a challenge to Hawaii’s strict gun laws.