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Is This the Owner of the Home That Exploded in Northern Virginia Last Night?

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  December 05, 2023 7:05 AM

The good news is that no law enforcement officers were killed or severely injured when trying to execute a search warrant at a home in Northern Virginia. Earlier Monday afternoon, there were reports of a man firing a flare gun, which drew police attention. Hours later, while trying to enter the home, gunfire was exchanged, and the house subsequently exploded. There’s also some intrigue about who owned the residence, which we’ll revisit later. The FBI is on the scene (via NBC 4 Washington):


A home exploded in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday night and rocked a neighborhood with a powerful blast after police responded to a report of someone firing a flare gun, authorities said. Work to extinguish the house fire is ongoing. 

Police received reports of a man firing a flare gun from a home on the 800 block of North Burlington Street at around 4:45 p.m. 

Hours later, at around 8:30 p.m., officers were trying to execute a search warrant when the suspect allegedly fired multiple rounds, according to authorities. Then the home exploded. 

[…] 

Stunning video footage shows the moment the home burst into flames. Police vehicles could be seen outside a brick house. A blast suddenly erupts and blows away the front porch. The roof flies into the air as orange flames grow. People can be heard shouting in disbelief as smoke rises. 

“You could feel the sound concussion,” a man in the area said. “I’ve been here for 50 years and I never experienced anything like that.” 

Police officers received minor injuries but were not taken to hospitals, the department said. Officials are unaware of anyone else who was hurt, they said at a news conference.

 […]

 The FBI Washington Field Office and the ATF's Washington Field Division are assisting in the investigation.

 The suspect has not been identified, but I’ll just leave this here—what is going on, by the way: