‘Screams MKUltra’: Paranoid LinkedIn posts of suspect in massive Arlington home explosion sparks government conspiracies
A now-deleted LinkedIn account belonging to James Yoo, the man whose home allegedly exploded in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday evening while police served a search warrant, reveals a series of paranoid posts.
The account was discovered just hours after law enforcement descended onto Yoo's home after reports indicated that a flare gun was repeatedly being fired from inside. As police attempted to enter the home, shots from what was suspected to be a firearm were also heard.
The Arlington-based media outlet ARLnow discovered soon after that public records tied Yoo to the property. A neighbor described Yoo to ARLnow as a "recluse" who had covered his windows in aluminum foil.
Screenshots from Yoo's LinkedIn account, however, reveal just how deep his paranoia went. Just three days prior to the explosion, Yoo uploaded a photograph of his neighbors and their cars while accusing them of being spies.
In one post, Yoo claimed that his neighbors had planned to kill him last year on the anniversary of Japan's attack against Pearl Harbor. Yoo, an Asian American, repeatedly expressed fears over white people.
"This is how White people operate," Yoo said of his neighbors.
Yoo also called for an end to numerous government agencies, including the FBI, CIA, and NSA, in his "About" section on LinkedIn. A quote from renowned academic Noam Chomsky describing the U.S. as the world's biggest terrorist, as well as references to the NWA song "Fuck Tha Police," were also present.
A YouTube channel run by Yoo, which primarily showed screenshots of his LinkedIn posts, likewise detailed his beliefs as well as his countless frivolous lawsuits against friends, family, businesses, and the government, including the FBI and DOJ.
While Yoo's YouTube account remains online, his LinkedIn profile was removed sometime following the explosion.
Given the nature of his posts, the lack of information about the incident, and Arlington's proximity to numerous federal agencies, plenty of conspiracies popped up online, including that Yoo was a secret federal agent, or that the government was trying to silence him.
"Screams MKultra," wrote one based on Yoo's bizarre LinkedIn ramblings.
In a statement posted to Facebook early Tuesday, the Arlington County Police Department said that three officers received minor injuries from the explosion.
Yoo's condition is currently unknown. Police spokesperson Ashley Savage told the New York Times that the suspect was "believed to be inside the residence at the time of the explosion."
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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