(RepublicanReport.org) – Police in Arlington, Virginia, issued a warning to residents to avoid the 800 block of N. Burlington Street, noting police were active in the area following the discharge of a flare gun. Shortly later, reports flooded in over a massive explosion that leveled one house and damaged at least one more.
Officers initially responded to a call reporting shots fired at 4:45 p.m. on December 4. The Arlington Police Department shared about the investigation on X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter, warning locals of a possible threat in the area. It also issued a news release stating that the resident inside the home had set off somewhere between 30 and 40 flares — all of which he directed outside, spraying the surrounding neighborhood. The department offered updates as they came.
Officers secured a search warrant as part of their investigation, but the explosion occurred before they had a chance to enter the home, at roughly 8:25 p.m. Fire crews worked for about two hours to fully contain the inferno that ensued, but they were down to extinguishing spot fires by around 10:30 p.m. Three officers on the scene reported minor injuries, but none required hospital care.
Lobbyist and former Secretary of the Senate Kelly D. Johnston shared on X that his son’s family lives on the same street where the explosion occurred. He said that the event knocked out electricity in the area, and police weren’t allowing any cars to enter or leave.
Local news source ARLnow reported on a press conference Arlington Police held outside its headquarters on December 5, which the department also broadcasted live on X. Officers announced that they had made numerous attempts to interact with the resident, identified as 56-year-old James Yoo, before the explosion occurred. Several agencies are currently working to determine the cause of the blast, and a body recovered from the rubble is presumed to be Yoo’s remains.
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