Armed man arrested after attempting to enter Washington, DC, synagogue

Synagogue security personnel detected a firearm during an entrance screening, detained the suspect, and held him until police arrived.

A 32-year-old Virginia man was arrested after attempting to enter Washington Hebrew Congregation in Washington, DC, with a handgun on Saturday morning, the DC Metropolitan Police Department confirmed on Monday, according to multiple news outlets.

The suspect, identified as Tyler Finn of Lynchburg, Virginia, arrived at the synagogue before the start of Shabbat services, according to police.

Synagogue security personnel discovered the firearm during an entrance screening and detained Finn until officers arrived at approximately 10:15 a.m., according to police accounts provided to the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS).

Finn was arrested at the scene and charged with carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of unregistered ammunition.

Police are not investigating the incident as a hate crime, according to an incident report cited by JNS.

'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.