A major explosion rocked the neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, Monday night as local police were conducting an investigation of a man who fired a flare gun 30 or 40 times from inside his house.
According to a press release by the Arlington County Police Department, officers were dispatched around 4:45 p.m. Monday to the 800 block of N. Burlington Street due to a report of possible shots being heard in the area. The department’s preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect had fired a flare gun roughly 30 or 40 times in the neighborhood from inside his home. Police also reported that no damage or injuries were reported from the flare gun incident.
As part of the investigation, the police received a search warrant for the suspect’s home and attempted to notify the suspect by telephone and by using speakers. However, police explained that the suspect did not respond to their attempted contact and remained barricaded inside his home.
“As officers were attempting to execute the search warrant, the suspect discharged several rounds, from what is believed to be a firearm, inside the home,” the press release stated. “Subsequently, at approximately 8:25 p.m., an explosion occurred at the residence. The investigation into the circumstances of the explosion are ongoing.”
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The press release also noted that the Arlington County Fire Department responded to the explosion in order to extinguish the fire. By 10:30 p.m., the Arlington County Police Department reported that the fire was under control; however, fire crews remained on the scene due to “small spot fires.”
The police department reported that three officers received minor injuries due to Monday’s explosion incident; however, none of the officers required medical attention from the local hospital. Police also indicated that the condition of the suspect, who was in the house at the time of the explosion, was not yet known.
Video footage of the explosion on social media shows the suspect’s house erupting into a huge ball of fire, as remains of the house appeared to shoot into the air. According to NBC News, neighbors reported that the explosion was felt and heard miles away from the scene of the explosion in Arlington.
Collin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, shared video footage of Monday’s explosion in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Alongside the video footage of the explosion, Rugg shared information regarding the alleged suspect that was reported by ARL Now. The local news outlet shared that while police have not yet disclosed the identity of the suspect, public records of the address link James Yoo as the potential owner of the house that exploded.
“Here is what we know about James Yoo, the man linked to the Arlington, Virginia home explosion. Police responded after there were reports of a flare gun being fired from the home. James Yoo was listed on public records as the one living at the property,” Rugg stated. “Yoo was racist against white people in LinkedIn posts, claiming they had been stalking him since the 1990s: ‘This is how White people operate.'”
Rugg claimed that Yoo had posted on LinkedIn regarding his alleged hatred for the police and the government, as well as his belief that his neighbors had been spying on him. Rugg also shared a report from ARL Now that claimed Yoo had covered the windows of his home with aluminum foil.
While Rugg shared the report by ARL Now, he also emphasized, “Authorities have still not released the name of the suspect or if anyone else was in the home at the time of the incident.”
