On Monday night in Arlington, Virginia, a residence exploded only minutes after law enforcement posted on social media about a suspect triggering a flare gun inside the house. The incident unfolded around 4:45 p.m. when Arlington County police responded to reports of shots in the 800 block of North Burlington Street. In their initial investigation, officers discovered that a suspect had fired a flare gun 30 to 40 times from inside the home into the neighborhood, as per a statement released by the police early Tuesday.
As the investigation progressed, officers secured a search warrant for the residence. While attempting to execute the search warrant that evening, the suspect within the house discharged several rounds, leading to the subsequent explosion of the residence, according to Ashley Savage, the public information officer for Arlington County Police. a residence exploded
The search warrant was issued in relation to reports of the flare gun, though it is not known if the suspect also had a firearm he fired at officers when they entered his house.
Nearby residents took to social media to share they had heard the loud explosion around 8:30 p.m. Later, county police confirmed in a post that as officers entered the house, the suspect discharged several rounds inside the home before the explosion occurred.
Dick Uliano, a reporter for WTOP who was present at the site of the explosion aftermath, described the scent in the vicinity as “acrid” and witnessed the presence of “smoldering ruins” strewn across the street.
As of now, the individual within the home is unaccounted for, as mentioned by Uliano. Arlington County Police’s Ashley Savage stated that there is no evidence pointing to the presence of others in the duplex, though this possibility cannot be ruled out in the early stages of the investigation.
The identity of the suspect has not been disclosed. Arlington Fire & EMS initially reported a “structure fire” at the same address, later updating that the remaining fire was under control. A listener informed WTOP that she resides in the area and observed the police, along with other armed officials, surrounding the suspect’s house while attempting to persuade him to come out.