Arlington home explodes after suspect sets off flares as police serve search warrant

On Monday, a home in the Bluemont neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia exploded as police were attempting to serve a search warrant following reports that a flare gun had been fired from within earlier in the evening.

While three members of law enforcement suffered minor injuries, the fate of the suspect, who is believed to have been in the home at the time, has not been revealed.

According to the Arlington County Police Department, officers were called to a duplex on the 800 block of North Burlington Street around 4:45 pm to investigate reports that someone had "discharged a flare gun 30 - 40 times from inside his residence into the surrounding neighborhood."

While his actions did not result in any injuries or property damage, officers nonetheless obtained a search warrant and tried to make contact with him via telephone and loudspeaker. Their attempts proved fruitless, and the suspect remained "barricaded" inside.

At around 8:25 pm, he "discharged several rounds" from what authorities believe was a firearm, resulting in the aforementioned explosion. The blast sent shockwaves through the surrounding area as residents watched debris fly into the air and the structure burn to the ground.

The fire department arrived on the scene a short time later, and by 10:30 pm, the blaze was extinguished.

While police have not released the name of the suspect, local outlet ARLNow has reported that public records show the resident of the now-leveled home to be a man named James Yoo.

According to Newsweek, Yoo's social media posts were reportedly filled with rants about the government, the police, and his own neighbors, who he repeatedly labeled "spies," suggesting they had fake identities and were assigned to monitor him for their "handlers." His YouTube channel included videos with pictures from his LinkedIn page depicting people he claimed were his neighbors entering and leaving their homes, according to the outlet.

One of Yoo's neighbors, Alex Wilson, told ARLNow that he kept to himself and often had his windows covered with aluminum foil. Yoo also allegedly chased away prospective buyers with a knife while his house was on the market.