Arlington home explosion: Suspect, 56, presumed dead after blast, police say

The lone suspect in the explosion of a house in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday evening is presumed dead, according to police.

James Yoo, 56, of Arlington was announced as the suspect in the blast that destroyed a home near the Ballston neighborhood of the northern Virginia city, located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Police said human remains were discovered at the explosion site and that no one else was seriously injured by the blast.

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Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn said police were called to the residence after reports of possible shots fired and said Yoo had fired a flare gun “more than 30 times.” He said police had attempted to communicate with the suspect multiple times before and after obtaining a search warrant but were unsuccessful.

Penn said Yoo was inside the house when it exploded and that a medical examiner will work to conduct an investigation on the identity and cause of death of the remains found at the scene.

“There is no ongoing threat to the community related to this incident and no outstanding suspects. The suspect’s residence was a duplex, and the other residents were evacuated prior to the explosion occurring,” Penn said. “Thankfully, there were no serious injuries to any officers, other public safety officials, or community members. I can assure you that this incident will be thoroughly investigated.”

Emily Saxon/AP

Police said they were “aware of concerning social media posts” allegedly made by Yoo and that they would be investigated. A LinkedIn page for a James Yoo living in Arlington had messages calling for the defunding of the FBI, CIA, and National Security Agency, along with calls to “purge all spies.”

Penn said the Arlington County Police Department had only had two interactions with Yoo, which included two noise complaint calls. David Sundberg, FBI assistant director for the Washington Field Office, said the FBI had received communications from Penn “over a number of years,” with most alleging fraud against him.

“The individual chief Penn referenced had previously communicated with the FBI via phone calls, online tips, and letters over a number of years. I would characterize these communications as primarily complaints about alleged frauds he believed were perpetrated against him. The information contained therein and the nature of those communications did not lead to opening any FBI investigations,” Sundberg said.

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The Arlington County Fire Department did not have a cause or origin for the explosion but said gas had been shut off to the residence before the explosion occurred.

Officials at all agencies said there would be no time frame for the investigations.