New Jersey Man Arrested with Explosives at Red Mass

A man from New Jersey has been apprehended for allegedly possessing over 200 explosive devices near the annual Red Mass in Washington, D.C. Documents reveal he had a notebook outlining the Supreme Court justices expected to attend the event at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle.

The individual, identified as Louis Guerri, 41, reportedly set up a tent on the cathedral’s steps. When approached by a police officer, he was informed that it might be prudent to leave as he might have explosives with him.

During a dialogue with the officers, Guerri handed over a notebook filled with his vitriolic views against the Catholic Church, the Supreme Court, Jewish individuals, and U.S. immigration enforcement, according to court records.

The cathedral was gearing up for the Red Mass, which marks the beginning of the Supreme Court’s term. Authorities discovered homemade explosives stashed inside a green tent on the premises.

As reported by the Catholic Standard, the official publication of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, several Supreme Court justices are usually present but were kept separate due to the unfolding security situation.

According to the Washington Post, the Metropolitan Police Department summoned the bomb squad after Guerri, who refused to abandon his tent, claimed to have a bomb.

In a tense exchange, he asked an officer if he should just discard one of the explosives, saying he had “100 plus” of them. When informed of the possibility of being removed by force, he allegedly warned that “some of your people are going to die from one of these.”

To calm the situation, a sergeant agreed to read Guerri’s notebook, which was titled “Written Negotiations to Avoid the Destruction of Property Due to the Detonation of Explosives.”

When the sergeant opened the tent flap and noticed a butane lighter in Guerri’s possession, he became enraged. Guerri then produced several capped vials labeled as containing explosive materials, threatening that he was “one step away” from causing death. This led police to retreat and establish a perimeter.

Eventually, after a short struggle when Guerri exited his tent to relieve himself, he was handcuffed. The bomb squad recovered a significant amount of his devices, which were forwarded to the FBI for analysis.

The explosives included nitromethane, a substance often associated with homemade bombs, notably used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Additionally, records indicated other devices were modified bottle rockets treated with a pyrotechnic solution.

Guerri now faces eight charges, including manufacturing or possessing weapons of mass destruction in connection with a hate crime. A judge has denied him bail.