Wild Video Shows House Mysteriously Exploding During Police Standoff
Video widely circulated on social media shows a devastating home explosion during a police raid in Arlington, VA. Though the story is still developing, some key details have been made public. NPR and The Associated Press reported the harrowing incident.
Local law enforcement apparently descended on a brick townhouse in Washington D.C.’s Bluemont suburb around 4:45 on Monday afternoon. They were responding to reports of a suspect firing off a weapon in the area. When authorities arrived, it was determined that someone within the house had shot off between 30 and 40 rounds from a flare gun into the surrounding streets.
A search warrant was obtained and officers attempted to contact the individual in the house via a loudspeaker and then a phone, but the man did not respond. Shortly before 8:25 p.m., a sound believed to be gunshots were heard ringing inside the home. The explosion occurred moments later. Footage shows a fireball instantly engulfing the home as the structure collapses in on itself.
Video of the explosion. Hope everyone was out of the house#Arlington #ballston @ARLnowDOTcom @RealTimeNews10 pic.twitter.com/JSZE7LkoTD
— c “” maj (@connormaj) December 5, 2023
Neighbors didn’t know what to make of the chaos. "I heard something like air popping, and then the fence started rattling intensely, almost like a sonic boom," Allison Van Lare told NPR.
“I actually thought a plane exploded,” neighbor Carla Rodriguez recounted to AP.
The wreckage blazed for over two hours after the explosion, with fire officials finally declaring it under control around 10:30 p.m. Throughout the night, crews continued to fight smaller fires which repeatedly ignited.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is investigating the cause of the incident with help from federal fire officials. The suspect, who was believed to still be in the home when it exploded, has still not been publicly identified. It is unclear at this point what the suspect’s condition is. Officials told AP that they don’t believe any other people were inside the townhouse at the time of the explosion, but they’re still considering that as a possibility.
This is a developing story. Check back later for more information.