Arlington, Virginia house explosion: What happened and who is the suspect? Crime News

Table Of Content

• Apparent explosion destroys Arlington home that was under construction, officials say
• AP AUDIO: Suspect who fired at Virginia officers from a duplex before it exploded is thought to be dead.
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More than 160 power outages were initially reported in the area, but that number had decreased to 19 as of Tuesday morning. Monitoring the emergency response to a major explosion in the Bluemont neighborhood of Arlington tonight. This is very, very scary, and my profound thanks go out to first responders working to secure the area and keep everyone safe. Police respond to the scene of the explosion in Arlington on Monday night.

Apparent explosion destroys Arlington home that was under construction, officials say

Monday, when police received a call about possible shots fired on Yoo’s block. It was “a flare-type gun,” Penn said, and more than 30 projectiles had been fired. As Yoo barricaded himself inside the home, authorities obtained a search warrant to enter the property and look for weapons, Penn said. Police said in a statement that a preliminary investigation indicated the suspect "discharged a flare gun approximately times from inside his residence into the surrounding neighborhood."

AP AUDIO: Suspect who fired at Virginia officers from a duplex before it exploded is thought to be dead.

"The suspect was inside the residence at the time of the explosion, and he is presumed, at this point, to be deceased. Human remains have been located at the scene." Yoo, who described himself in some of his many court cases as a former security specialist for telecommunications companies, was rarely seen around his neighborhood in the county’s Bluemont area, residents said. Then, late Monday afternoon, someone began firing projectiles from “a flare-type gun” in the 800 block of North Burlington Street, police said. When officers arrived at Yoo’s home about 5 p.m., they were met with gunfire, and a barricade situation ensued. One man with burn injuries that were considered non-life threatening was taken to the hospital, but it wasn’t immediately clear if the person had been in the house or outside, fire Lt. Twana Allen said Sunday.

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The fire was under control around 10.30pm, but Arlington county fire department crews continued to battle small spot fires, police said early on Tuesday. Three officers reported minor injuries, but no one was taken to the hospital. Based on the preliminary investigation of the incident, we believe the resident of the home, James Yoo, 56, of Arlington, VA is the involved suspect. The suspect was inside the residence at the time of the explosion. Human remains have been located at the scene which are presumed to be the suspect.

Police officials said Yoo was inside the home at the time of the explosion, and they have found human remains. They are still waiting for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to identify the body they found, but they are presuming Yoo died in the blast. Penn said officers attempted to engage with Yoo to no avail, so they obtained a search warrant. When they breached the front door, the emergency response team was met with "multiple gunshots from a firearm coming from within the dwelling," Penn said.

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Carla Rodriquez of South Arlington heard its sound despite living more than 3.2km (2 miles) away, AP reported. Yoo denied having any thoughts of suicide or prior depression, while referencing a suicide note that he claimed he never wrote but hospital records said he left for his wife. Carla Rodriguez of South Arlington said she could hear the explosion more than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away and came to the scene, but police kept onlookers blocks away. He cited hospital records that reference a suicide note that he left for his wife, which he said he never wrote. In 2018, Yoo filed a 163-page federal lawsuit in New York against his then-wife, younger sister and a hospital after he said he was committed against his will. Yoo alleged conspiracy and deprivation of his rights, among other crimes.

UPDATED: Police Issue Statement on Home Explosion – Official Website of Arlington County Virginia Government - Advisory Groups & Commissions

UPDATED: Police Issue Statement on Home Explosion – Official Website of Arlington County Virginia Government.

Posted: Tue, 05 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Penn said Yoo did not have any previous interactions with officers at the address of the now-obliterated home. The only documented incidents between Yoo and law enforcement, he said, are two calls for service for loud noise over the past couple of years. Officials said they are still investigating the cause of the massive explosion that leveled the home and rocked Arlington's Bluemont neighborhood.

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"I would characterize these communications as primarily complaints about alleged frauds he believed were perpetrated against him," Sundberg told reporters. "The information contained therein and the nature of those communications did not lead to opening any FBI investigations." One video posted to social media appears to show a vehicle with a flashing blue light approaching the home when a loud blast suddenly blows off the roof of the house. Within seconds, the building appears to crumple to the ground and burst into flames, sending debris flying through the air and setting off a nearby car alarm. A massive explosion engulfed a home and rocked a neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, as police were investigating a man who fired a flare gun dozens of times from inside Monday night, police said. James Yoo is presumed dead after the Arlington residence went up in a fireball as police officers tried to serve a search warrant, authorities said Tuesday.

The officers escaped serious injury but it was unclear what happened to the suspect who was inside when the building was leveled, an Arlington county police spokesperson, Ashley Savage, said. Police officials at the site suffered minor injuries while gas service to the home was turned off. They also said there is no ongoing threat to the public and no other suspects. One dead body was found in the house, suspected to be Yoo’s, and around 10 to 12 surrounding homes were also affected by the blast. “The fire department personnel absolutely saved lives” by evacuating residents of the neighborhood, Jenkins said.

One resident said she and her roommate had just arrived home nearby when they heard “gunshot-sounding things.” Moments later, “it felt like we got attacked. Kim said he heard the police talking to the suspect with a megaphone. They told him to come out peacefully, and they weren’t going to leave. Sam Kim, whose backyard is nearby, captured a video of a SWAT team trying to coax the suspect out of the house. The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, is still unaccounted for.

As officers tried to enter the home, multiple gunshots were fired from within the house, Penn said. Penn said police responded to the house at about 4.45pm on Monday after reports of shots fired. Over the years, he also made many attempts to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through phone calls, letters and online tips, according to lawsuits and David Sundberg, the assistant director of the FBI’s Washington field office. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the explosion that was felt miles from the site, while Yoo’s troubling relationships with people in his life have come to the fore through details of his own social media posts and lawsuits. Arlington is located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The explosion occurred in Bluemont, a neighborhood in north Arlington where many of the homes are duplexes.

Another Arlington resident, Bob Maynes, reported feeling the tremble of the explosion. Yoo believed that a New York Times reporter he saw on television was someone who had claimed to be an FBI agent and came to his house in 2017. He claimed that the reporter threatened a harassment charge if Yoo made further attempts to communicate with a US attorney in western New York. Yoo’s 2018 lawsuit against his then-wife, younger sister and a hospital, filed after he said he was committed against his will, alleged conspiracy and a deprivation of his rights, amongst other crimes. He also posted videos online of lawsuits that he filed, accusing people of stalking, threatening and harassing him. Yoo’s social media posts air grievances about various people in his life.

Numerous residents described the shock of the huge blast to ARLnow. Baltimore Gas and Electric, hazardous materials and fire investigators were at the scene. More than 50 firefighters worked to put out the fire and help with the pet rescues.

Assistant Fire Chief Jason Jenkins noted that the fire department turned off the gas line to the house before the explosion occurred. The authorities identified the man as James Yoo, 56, of Arlington and said that human remains found at the scene were believed to be his. The police said that three officers had suffered “minor injuries,” but no one was transported to the hospital. Early Tuesday, the police had not identified the man inside the home or what his condition was. The police said on social media that residents should avoid the area, part of a densely populated suburban neighborhood with parks, restaurants and schools.