Accused Gunman Never Spoke Before Fatal Shooting At Gym: Report

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The accused gunman in a fatal shooting last summer at a Reston gym walked into the business without speaking a word, then fired up to nine gunshots at a customer, according to reports.

Evidence was presented Thursday in Fairfax County General District Court in connection to the fatal shooting of 31-year-old Hyngjoon Choi last summer at Gold’s Gym at 11830 Sunrise Valley Drive.

A trainer told the court on Thursday that 43-year-old Steve Taehee Ha of Chantilly walked into the Gold’s Gym at 11830 Sunrise Valley Drive around 1 p.m. on Aug. 20, 2024. Without saying a word, he pulled a handgun out of a shoulder bag and fired six to nine shots at Choi, killing him, according to NBC4.

Hours later, police found firearms and ammunition matching the bullets that were fired in the gym. The defense argued that the ammunition was common and may not have been connected to this case.

The judge determined the prosecution had satisfied the necessary burden and the case will move forward, according to NBC4’s reporting

Fairfax County Police arrested Ha the day after the shooting. He is facing charges of second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Ha is accused of walking into the Gold’s Gym at 11830 Sunrise Valley Drive around 1 p.m. on Aug. 20, 2024 and shooting Choi, according to police.

Other evidence presented showed that Ha was the last person to sign in at the gym and that he admitted to investigators that he was at the gym that day.

It remains unclear whether the two men knew each other before the shooting, according to police.

Related:

• Reston Shooting Victim IDed, Suspect Charged With 2nd-Degree Murder
• Shooting Suspect, Victim Members Of Gold's Gym, Motive Unknown: Report