Overview
- Security staff at Washington Hebrew Congregation detected a weapon with walk-through metal detectors and a handheld wand and detained the man before Shabbat services on Saturday.
- Metropolitan Police arrested 32-year-old Tyler Finn of Lynchburg, Virginia, and charged him with carrying a pistol without a license and possession of an unregistered firearm and ammunition.
- Security personnel recovered a loaded handgun from the suspect's waistband and no injuries were reported, and authorities say there is no known ongoing threat to the community.
- Finn told officers he brought the gun because recent news had made him worried about safety, but police said his intent and motive remain under investigation.
- Local groups including JShield and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington praised the synagogue's screening and urged continued vigilance as threats to Jewish institutions have risen nationally.