Video: Home explodes in Virginia after barricaded suspect fires flare gun, police say
ARLINGTON COUNTY, Va. (WDVM) – Police in Virginia are investigating after a home in which a man had barricaded himself exploded.
The incident began at about 4:45 p.m. Monday when officers responded to reports of shots fired, which they later determined came from a flare gun, according to the Arlington County Police Department. Authorities said the suspect fired the flare gun 30 to 40 times into the neighborhood. No property damage or injuries were reported.
While police investigated, they obtained a search warrant for the home.
When police attempted to execute the warrant several hours after they initially responded, the suspect fired several rounds inside the home, police said on X, formerly known as Twitter. It was then that the house — a duplex — exploded and burst into flames shortly before 8:30 p.m.
The explosion was caught on video, which you can see below.
Video courtesy James Alex Wilson via Storyful
Three officers had minor injuries as a result of the explosion but did not need to go to the hospital for treatment.
No fatalities have yet been confirmed and the status of the suspect, who was in the home when it exploded, is not known, said Arlington County police spokesperson Ashley Savage.
Power was knocked out in the immediate area and flames could be seen shooting in the air from a nearby street.
Neighbors evacuated their homes as a precaution and were to be let back into their homes when first responders said they felt it was safe to return.
Carla Rodriguez, who lives in the area, said she could hear the explosion more than two miles away and came to scene, which was roped off blocks away, to see what was happening.
“I actually thought a plane exploded,” she told the Associated Press.
Macaulay Porter, the press secretary for Gov. Glenn Youngkin, said in a post on X that Youngkin is “closely monitoring the situation.”
“While we continue to gather details, the secretary of public safety is ready to assist state and local enforcement,” Porter stated.
As of early Tuesday afternoon, investigators were looking into the exact cause of the explosion. Members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were in the field behind the home, marking evidence.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.