A 32-year-old Virginia man was arrested after attempting to enter Washington Hebrew Congregation in Washington with a handgun and two pocket knives on Saturday morning, the Metropolitan Police Department confirmed on Monday.
The suspect, identified as Tyler Finn of Lynchburg, Virginia, was part of a scheduled visit by a religious studies class from Liberty University, which had previously visited as part of interfaith dialogue, the synagogue explained in a subsequent statement.
He had arrived at the synagogue before the start of Shabbat services, where synagogue security officers discovered the weapons during an entrance screening and detained Finn until police arrived at approximately 10:15 a.m. There was no physical altercation, the statement added.
According to the police report, Finn stated he had brought the weapons "due to safety concerns for himself and occupants based on recent news reports."
He was then arrested at the scene and charged with carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or a place of business.
The police report also noted that the suspect admitted that the firearm was unregistered.
'No threat to Greater Washington Jewish community'
No injuries were reported during the incident, according to the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, which issued a statement on Monday addressing the attempted entry.
"JShield has been in close contact with Washington Hebrew Congregation and local law enforcement. At this time, there is no known threat to the broader Greater Washington Jewish community," the federation said in a statement.
"This incident underscores the importance of a strong, coordinated culture of security across our community," the statement continued. "We encourage our community members to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to law enforcement and JShield."
JShield is the federation's community security and crisis response program, which works to protect Jewish institutions, schools, and synagogues throughout the Greater Washington area.