Virginia home explodes after suspect fires flare gun during police search
A flare gun was fired at a home in Arlington, Virginia, during a police search Monday evening, causing the dwelling to explode. (Credit: Alex Wilson)
A Virginia man with a history of rambling social media posts and "frivolous" lawsuits has been linked to the Arlington house that exploded Monday night after police arrived to investigate claims that someone inside was shooting flares into the neighborhood.
Public records show James Yoo, 56, lived in a duplex house on the block shown exploding in eyewitness video. Police confirmed his identity at a news briefing Tuesday afternoon and said that human remains had been recovered from the site. They are believed to belong to Yoo, but an autopsy was pending.
Police said their only prior interactions with Yoo at the address were a pair of noise complaints in the past few years.
Although his LinkedIn profile appears to have been disabled, Yoo preserved some of his posts on a YouTube page along with silent videos showing court filings from some of his failed lawsuits. Two of the videos showing his recent LinkedIn posts appeared to have been removed Tuesday morning. Police said they were aware of his "concerning social media posts" at the briefing.
VIRGINIA HOME EXPLODES AFTER BARRICADED SUSPECT FIRES FLARE GUN, FIREARM WHILE POLICE ATTEMPT SEARCH
The posts refer to his ex-wife as a "witch," and anti-U.S. slogans including "#F---AMERICA" and quotes from Noam Chomsky.
The profile description claims he is a "Former Head of Information and Physical Security for international telecommunication company."
"I gave THEM / Y'ALL every opportunity to 'do the right thing' and all I see is America's hypocrisy, corruption, fraud, conspiracy…" the bio continues.
WATCH: Virginia home explodes after suspect fires flare gun during police search
Alex Wilson, a neighbor who recorded video of the explosion, described Yoo in an interview with the local outlet Arlington Now as a "recluse" who covered his windows in aluminum foil.
In one of his most recent posts, from Dec. 1, he posted a rant about his neighbor's "activity" and that, "This is how White people operate and have the luxury of outnumbering all other ‘races’ by almost 7 to 1 in 'Merica." In another post from late October, he claimed that he was being targeted with "hateful messaging" and made reference to assassination.
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The Washington office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms posted an image of the scene after the explosion. Federal authorities were existing Arlington police in the investigation. (ATF Washington)
In February of last year, he tried to sue his ex-wife, the state of New York and more than a dozen others, alleging fraud, conspiracy to deprive him of civil rights and other charges. A federal judge dismissed the complaint with prejudice two months later, calling the lawsuit "frivolous and confused." It was among a "string" of similar complaints that were also dismissed.
In court documents and social media posts, he lists his address as on North Burlington Street – where police responded Monday night before the explosion.
Shocking video shows a law enforcement vehicle approaching the house before a fireball engulfs the scene. The explosion tore into the sky, and the building crumpled to the ground. The force of the blast set off at least one car alarm in the neighborhood.
An Arlington, Virginiam, is home engulfed in flames after an explosion as police officers were trying to serve a search warrant. (Credit: Alex Wilson)
Police said they first responded to the house around 4:45 p.m. after someone inside fired dozens of rounds from a flare gun "into the surrounding neighborhood."
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Police tried to make contact with phone calls and loudspeakers but were ignored.
"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," police said in a statement. "Subsequently, at approximately 8:25 p.m., an explosion occurred at the residence. The investigation into the circumstances of the explosion are ongoing."
Three officers suffered minor injuries in the blast, but none required hospitalization, authorities said. Firefighters had the scene under control around 10:30 p.m. but continued to douse spot fires into the late night hours.
Authorities said the blast impacted 10 households. His neighbors in the adjoining unit in his duplex were evacuated before it exploded.
Calls and emails to Arlington police were unanswered Tuesday morning.
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