The Arlington County Police Department, in cooperation with the Northern Virginia Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), the Arlington County Fire Department and our federal law enforcement partners continue to investigate a home explosion in the 800 block of N. Burlington Street which occurred on the evening of December 4, 2023.
James Yoo, 56, was identified by Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn at a news conference as the person whose actions brought police to the Arlington home after he fired a “flare-type gun” from inside the house into the neighborhood more than 30 times.
Penn said police responded to the house about 4:45 p.m. Monday after receiving reports of shots fired. When attempts to communicate with Yoo were largely unsuccessful, police obtained a search warrant.
As officers breached the door to enter the home, the suspect fired multiple gunshots from within the house, Penn said. He said it wasn’t clear where in the house the shots were coming from or what the suspect was firing at.
Assistant Fire Chief Jason Jenkins noted that the fire department turned off the gas line to the house before the explosion occurred. Bomb-sniffing dogs are on the scene, he said.
Video posted to social media showed the house disappearing under a ball of fire, lobbing debris into the night air and sending wreckage raining down onto the suburb of Washington, D.C. Neighbors said the blast could be heard and felt for miles.
Police officers reported minor injuries, county police said. The police department said no one had been taken to a hospital.
The FBI in Washington was assisting in the investigation, a spokesperson for the agency's field office there said. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also said it had fire investigators at the scene ready to assist.
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. 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. Subsequently, at approximately 8:25 p.m., an explosion occurred at the residence. The investigation into the circumstances of the explosion are ongoing.
The Arlington County Fire Department responded to the scene to extinguish the fire. As of approximately 10:30 p.m., the fire is under control and crews continue to battle small spot fires.
Three officers reported minor injuries and there were no transports to the hospital related to this incident. The investigation is ongoing.
Read more
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 32 Vanessa Hudgens Marries in MexicoSarah H
Also on site :
- ‘What the heck?’: New York woman stores her AirPods in plastic Skittles case. Then they melt the Skittles inside
- When Does the ‘Stranger Things’ Finale Come Out?
- ‘Stranger Things’ presents two different interpretations of ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ in the final season