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Suspect believed to be dead after Virginia house explosion

Police say they were executing a warrant before a house exploded in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday night.
House explodes in Arlington, Virginia as police serve warrant
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Authorities in Virginia say they found human remains at the scene of a house explosion. 

The house exploded in Arlington on Monday night after police officers responded to reports of shots being fired. 

Police said an initial investigation revealed the suspect, later identified as 56-year-old James Yoo, discharged a flare gun approximately 30-40 times from inside the home into the surrounding neighborhood.

Police said officers were serving a search warrant and attempting to breach the home's front door when they were fired upon. 

"Officers began to deploy non-flammable less lethal chemical munitions to multiple areas within the residence where the suspect was believed to be hiding," said Ashley Savage, public information officer for the Arlington Police Department. 

A short time later, an explosion destroyed the house, collapsing most of the structure in a significant fireball.

The fire department responded to extinguish the subsequent blaze. 

Police on the scene said three officers had minor injuries, but none that required hospitalization.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said investigators who specialize in fire crimes and arson are investigating what caused the explosion. 

Savage said that officers had not previous contact with the suspect, but they are investigating reports of concerning social media posts. 


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