On Monday night in Arlington County, in the US state of Virginia, at least 30 shots were fired inside a residence. Soon after police arrived to investigate, an explosion occurred and the house burst into flames.
The owner and primary suspect, James Yoo, was presumed killed.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the explosion that was felt miles from the site, while Yoo’s troubling relationships with people in his life have come to the fore through details of his own social media posts and lawsuits.
Here is what you need to know about the incident and James Yoo.
At 4:45pm (21:45 GMT) on Monday, December 4, police officers responded after possible gunshots were heard fired in an Arlington duplex. A preliminary investigation indicated that a flare gun was fired approximately 30-40 times from inside the residence into the surrounding neighborhood.
Police tried to speak to the occupant through a loudspeaker but received no response. When they attempted to enter the home with a search warrant, the suspect fired several rounds from what officers believed to be a firearm.
Authorities evacuated nearby residents, including those who lived in the attached unit of the duplex. It is unclear whether other people were present in the suspect’s house at the time the shots were fired.
Several hours later, at 8:25pm (01:25 GMT Tuesday) the suspect’s house exploded, shooting flames and debris that were felt miles away. Some of the debris found on the street included junk mail with the house address and name of the resident, James Yoo.
The Arlington Fire Department responded, and by around 10:30pm (03:30 GMT Tuesday), the fire was under control. No significant injuries were reported.
The exact cause of the fire is still unknown, according to Captain Nate Hiner, a spokesperson for the fire department.
Police said Yoo, 56, has been identified as the owner of the house and primary suspect, and that he was inside the residence at the time of the explosion. They said human remains were located at the scene and are presumed to be those of the suspect, even though police are still identifying them.
The house was in the 800 block of North Burlington Street in Arlington, Virginia, police said. The city is across the Potomac River from the US capital, Washington, DC.
Although the suspect’s motivations are still under investigation, Yoo’s life is believed to have been rife with troubled relationships.
Yoo’s social media posts air grievances about various people in his life. Even on LinkedIn, he shared paranoid rants about a former co-worker and said his neighbor was a spy. His LinkedIn and YouTube accounts have now been deleted.
He also posted videos online of lawsuits that he filed, accusing people of stalking, threatening and harassing him.
Several suits Yoo filed between 2018 and 2022 – against his ex-wife, younger sister, a moving company and the New York Supreme Court – were dismissed as frivolous.
Yoo’s 2018 lawsuit against his then-wife, younger sister and a hospital, filed after he said he was committed against his will, alleged conspiracy and a deprivation of his rights, amongst other crimes.
The 163-page complaint included biographical details such as who all attended his wedding, and described how his then-wife drove him to Rochester General Hospital in November 2015 ‘against his will’, according to the Associated Press (AP) news agency.
Yoo denied having any thoughts of suicide or prior depression, while referencing a suicide note that he claimed he never wrote but hospital records said he left for his wife.
Over the years, he also made many attempts to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through phone calls, letters and online tips, according to lawsuits and David Sundberg, the assistant director of the FBI’s Washington field office.
‘I would characterize these communications as primarily complaints about…’
