A gunman opened fire inside a Gold’s Gym in Reston, Virginia, on Tuesday afternoon, shooting and killing a man as gymgoers fled in horror.
Hyungjoon Choi, of Reston, was the shooting victim, Fairfax County police said. He was 31.
Steve Taehee Ha, 43, of Chantilly, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
The two men were working out at the gym in the 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Road when the shooter approached the victim and shot him, police said. Then, the suspect ran away.
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Officers entered the gym a little after 1 p.m. and found the victim had "trauma to the upper body," according to police spokesman Capt. Kent Bailey.
People inside the gym told News4 they were shocked by what they saw.
Paul Jacobson said he was about 20 feet from the shooter and almost done with his usual workout when he heard gunfire.
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“Loud bang to my left,” Jacobson said. “I look over and I see … basically, a guy with a gun, standing over another guy, shooting.”
Jacobson said his instincts kicked in and he ran out the back door. He heard screaming and yelling.
“I can’t believe this is actually happening,” he said.
Fairfax County police swarmed the area. Video showed first responders wheeling the victim into an ambulance. He was later pronounced dead.
Police continue to investigate what led to the shooting. They said they believe it was a targeted attack but are investigating the motive and possible connections between the suspect and victim.
After a lengthy search, the suspect was arrested, police said shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Ha was being held without bond and is due in court on Dec. 11. Victim specialists were assisting Choi's family, police said.
Choi’s LinkedIn page, which law enforcement sources confirmed is authentic, said Choi was originally from Seoul, South Korea, and graduated from the University of Maryland. He worked as a landscape designer, the page said.
News4 tried to contact his family but did not immediately hear back.
Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact Fairfax County police.
“It puts things in perspective,” said Reem Almasary, who lives near the gym. “Life is short. He just went to the gym to workout. I do that every day.”
The gym was closed on Wednesday as detectives dug to uncover any possible motive for the horrific crime.
This story is developing. Stay with NBC Washington for the latest.
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