The decision stunned relatives of Hyungjoon Choi, who was killed while exercising at a Gold’s Gym in 2024.
FAIRFAX, VA — A Fairfax County judge has accepted a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity from the man charged with fatally shooting a stranger inside a Reston gym, ending the case without a conventional murder trial and stunning the victim’s family.
Steve Taehee Ha had been charged in the killing of 31-year-old Hyungjoon Choi, a Reston resident who was exercising at a Gold’s Gym on Sunrise Valley Road when he was shot in August 2024. Authorities have not publicly identified a motive or established a prior relationship between the two men.
The court’s acceptance of the insanity plea means Ha will not be convicted of murder through the usual criminal process. A finding of not guilty by reason of insanity is based on a defendant’s mental condition at the time of the offense. It does not dispute that the fatal act occurred, but it determines that the defendant cannot be held criminally responsible under the standard required by law.
Choi’s family learned of the outcome after preparing for a case that had moved toward trial. NBC4 Washington reported that relatives were shocked by the decision and struggled with the knowledge that the criminal case would end without the verdict and prison sentence they had expected.
Police said the shooting happened shortly after 1 p.m. as Choi and other customers worked out inside the gym. Witnesses described hearing several shots and fleeing through exits as the gunman left the building. Officers found Choi with injuries to his upper body, and he later died at a hospital.
Investigators identified Ha through the gym’s entry records, surveillance footage and cellphone information, according to court records cited by local news outlets. Police arrested him hours after the shooting. He was initially charged with second-degree murder and accused of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
A gym trainer later testified that a man silently approached Choi before firing several times in his direction. Authorities initially described the shooting as targeted, but investigators did not publicly explain why Choi was selected. Reports indicated that the two men appeared to be strangers, leaving Choi’s family without a clear explanation for the attack.
A Fairfax County grand jury indicted Ha in February 2025, allowing the prosecution to move forward. A jury trial had been scheduled as the case passed through pretrial proceedings, but the insanity issue changed the course of the prosecution.
Under Virginia law, a person found not guilty by reason of insanity can be placed in state custody for mental health evaluation and treatment. Continued confinement and any future release depend on court reviews and findings about whether the person remains mentally ill or poses a danger. Specific details about Ha’s placement and the schedule for his next review were not immediately available in the reports consulted.
The ruling closes the murder prosecution without resolving several questions surrounding Choi’s death, including why he was attacked. The case now moves into the court-supervised mental health system rather than criminal sentencing proceedings.
Author note: Last updated July 18, 2026.