Gun-totting man arrested while trying to enter Washington DC synagogue

Armed man arrested at the entrance of a Washington, DC, synagogue trying to enter before Sabbath services while carrying a loaded gun and two knives.

By World Israel News Staff

A Virginia man was arrested after attempting to enter a Washington, DC, synagogue carrying a loaded revolver and two knives on Saturday morning, with security personnel discovering the weapons before he could enter the building.

The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Tyler Finn of Lynchburg, Virginia, was stopped at Washington Hebrew Congregation, a prominent Reform synagogue, shortly before Shabbat services began on November 7.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded to the synagogue at approximately 10:15 a.m. after security guards detained Finn and confiscated his firearm.

A court affidavit stated that Finn initially triggered a walk-through metal detector. A security officer then used a handheld detector, which sounded three additional alerts, prompting Finn to disclose that he was carrying a firearm clipped to his waistband.

Security personnel recovered a fully loaded Ruger .357-caliber revolver, along with two pocket knives, according to the synagogue.

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

Washington Hebrew Congregation subsequently revealed that Finn had arrived as part of a scheduled visit by a religious studies class from Liberty University in Virginia. The class had previously visited the synagogue through an interfaith dialogue program.

According to the police report, Finn said he had brought the weapons “due to safety concerns for himself and occupants based on recent news reports.”

Liberty University confirmed that Finn was a student and said it “deeply regrets the incident.”

The university also said that Finn had cooperated with law enforcement and maintained that he had not intended to harm anyone.

Authorities have not identified evidence of a planned attack on the synagogue. The police incident report did not classify the case as a suspected hate crime.

In a statement following the arrest, Washington Hebrew Congregation credited its security procedures with preventing a potentially dangerous situation.

“Saturday’s incident demonstrated that the security measures we have in place worked as intended,” the congregation said, noting its significant investments in protecting worshippers and visitors.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington also praised the synagogue’s security team and local police for their response.

“We are grateful to Washington Hebrew Congregation’s security team and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department for their swift response,” the federation said.

Its community security initiative, JShield, has been coordinating with synagogue officials and law enforcement in the aftermath of the incident.

“At this time, there is no known ongoing threat to the broader Greater Washington Jewish community,” the federation stated.

Rusty Rosenthal, the federation’s executive director of regional security, said the incident did not appear to have been an attempted attack, although the investigation had not been completed.

The incident comes amid heightened security concerns at Jewish institutions across the United States following a series of violent antisemitic attacks.

In May 2025, two Israeli Embassy employees were murdered outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. Jewish institutions have also substantially increased security spending since the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, in which 11 worshippers were murdered.