A man with a history of erratic social media posts and dismissed lawsuits has been connected to the Arlington house that exploded on Monday night amid a police investigation into reports of someone shooting flares in the neighborhood. Public records indicate that James Yoo, 56, lived in a duplex on the block captured exploding in eyewitness videos, though the police have not officially named a suspect.
While his LinkedIn profile appears to be deactivated, Yoo has preserved some posts on a YouTube page, including silent videos displaying court filings from unsuccessful lawsuits. Several videos, showcasing his recent LinkedIn posts, were apparently removed on Tuesday morning.
Arlington, Virginia, police responded to the home on North Burlington Street, which later exploded. Public records tie a James Yoo to the address, though the police have not identified a suspect publicly.
Yoo’s posts on social media refer to his ex-wife as a “witch” and include anti-U.S. sentiments like “#F—AMERICA” along with quotes from Noam Chomsky.
According to his profile description, Yoo claims to be a “Former Head of Information and Physical Security for an international telecommunication company.” He criticizes America for its “hypocrisy, corruption, fraud, conspiracy…” in his bio.
A neighbor, Alex Wilson, who recorded the explosion, described Yoo as a “recluse” with covered windows in aluminum foil.
In one recent post from December 1, Yoo ranted about his neighbor’s “activity” and claimed that this is “how White people operate.” Another post from late October mentioned being targeted with “hateful messaging” and alluded to assassination.
Last February, Yoo attempted to sue his ex-wife, the state of New York, and over a dozen others, alleging fraud, conspiracy, and civil rights violations. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit as “frivolous and confused” after two months. This lawsuit was part of a series of similar complaints that met the same fate.
Shocking footage captured a law enforcement vehicle approaching the house before a fiery explosion engulfed the scene, causing the building to collapse. The blast’s force triggered at least one car alarm in the surrounding neighborhood.
