Arlington, VA house explosion: Resident of home that exploded as police tried to execute search warrant identified as suspect and presumed dead

CNN
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The suspect inside an Arlington, Virginia, home that went up in flames Monday night as police tried to execute a search warrant has been identified as resident James Yoo, 56, and is presumed to be dead, Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn said.

“Human remains have been located at the scene. The office of the Chief Medical Examiner will work to positively identify the individual and cause and manner of death,” Penn told reporters at a Tuesday news conference.

Authorities said during the news conference they are investigating what the cause and origin of the explosion was.

There is no ongoing threat to the nearby community, the police chief said, adding this will be a thorough and extensive probe and authorities will also look into “concerning social media posts” allegedly made by the suspect.

Yoo listed his address in multiple LinkedIn posts, which are filled with rambling and at times incoherent conspiracy theories against government officials, law enforcement, media outlets and, in one post from Friday, his neighbors who he accused of being spies and collecting his information for unnamed handlers.

The FBI is assisting in the investigation into the explosion and the suspect, said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the agency’s Washington field office.

Yoo had previously communicated with the FBI through phone calls, online tips and letters “over a number of years,” Sundberg said.

“I would characterize these communications as primarily complaints about alleged frauds he believed were perpetrated against him,” he added. The information the suspect shared and his communications with the agency did not lead the FBI to open any investigations, Sundberg said.

The explosion prompted the evacuation of several nearby houses, officials said.

The blast destroyed the home as law enforcement were trying to make contact with the suspect inside. Authorities believe the man had been firing a flare gun from his home earlier in the day, Arlington County Police Department spokesperson Ashley Savage said.

Officers had responded to reports of shots fired near the home in the 800 block of N. Burlington Street shortly before 5 p.m., according to a police statement released early Tuesday.

Police then learned the suspect had discharged the flare gun about 30 to 40 times from his home into the surrounding neighborhood, the police statement said.

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“During the course of the investigation, officers obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s residence and attempted to make contact with the suspect over the telephone and through loudspeakers. The suspect did not respond and remained barricaded inside the residence,” the statement said.

As officers tried to execute the warrant, the suspect fired several rounds, from what is believed to have been a firearm, inside the home. Sometime afterward, around 8:25 p.m., the home exploded, police said.

Video taken by a witness shows law enforcement vehicles surrounding a multi-story home when a fiery blast suddenly erupts, sending a plume of flames, embers and smoke into the air as debris rains down into the street. The force of the explosion blew the roof and several walls apart, causing the structure to collapse.

The suspect was inside the home when it exploded, and investigators are not aware of anyone else inside, according to Savage.

Three officers received minor injuries but nobody was hospitalized, police said.

By about 10:30 p.m., the Arlington Fire Department had gotten the blaze under control but were still battling small spot fires, police said.

The fire department was waiting for a utility company to arrive and secure the utility before firefighters continued further into the structure, Capt. Nate Hiner with the Arlington Fire Department said.

Several homes were evacuated after the blast, Hiner said Monday night, though he did not provide an approximate number.

“As soon as the fire is brought under control and there is not threat or risk of that fire spreading to those structures, neighbors will be brought back in as the situation determines,” Hiner said.

The FBI’s Washington, DC, field office is assisting local police in responding to the explosion, the agency said. The site of the home explosion is about 5 miles from the Pentagon and other landmarks in the nation’s capital.

Virginia’s Democratic Rep. Don Beyer said he was monitoring the emergency response to a “major explosion” in the city’s Bluemont neighborhood Monday night.

“This is very, very scary, and my profound thanks go out to first responders working to secure the area and keep everyone safe,” Beyer posted on X.

A man who lives about five blocks away from the explosion told CNN affiliate WJLA that he was inside his home when the blast occurred.

“You could feel the sound concussion … It was impressive,” Bob Maynes told WJLA. “I’ve been here for 50 years, and I’ve never experienced anything like that.”

“My first thought was, ‘I want to check on the integrity of the house,’” Maynes said. “Once I figured out there was nothing wrong with my house, then my thought was, ‘Well, if there was some big explosion, do I really want to go out there?’ But there was lots of people going out there.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

CNN’s Melissa Alonso, Hannah Rabinowitz, Amanda Jackson, Evan Perez and Sara Smart contributed to this report.