The case against a man accused of killing another man inside a gym in Reston, Virginia last summer is moving forward.
Steve Ha, 43, of Chantilly, is suspected of killing Hyungjoon Choi, of Reston, in a Gold’s Gym in August. Choi was 31.
In court on Thursday, witnesses described the cold-blooded killing of an innocent man, as gymgoers fled in horror.
A Gold’s Gym trainer testified he saw Ha walk into the gym on Aug. 20 carrying an over-the-shoulder bag, reach into the bag, pull out a handgun and fire six to nine shots, killing Choi as he exercised. The shooter never said a word, the trainer said.
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Ha was arrested by Fairfax County police hours later at the home he shared with his mother. In his bedroom, detectives said they found multiple guns with ammunition matching the bullets fired in the gym.
The defense argued multiple detectives agreed the ammunition is common and a weak connection at best. But at this stage of a criminal proceeding, the bar the prosecution needs to meet is fairly low, and the judge felt the prosecution satisfied the necessary burden.
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Evidence showed the suspect was the last person to check into the gym before the shooting, and he admitted to police he was there that day.
The killing has puzzled detectives since day one. No connection between the suspect and victim has ever been established, and no evidence was presented Thursday on whether they had ever met or had a conversation.
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News4 attempted to get a comment from Choi’s family, but they did not respond. A trial date for Ha was not immediately set.
