Alexandria (web | news) , Va. - Local residents are shocked and saddened after sources confirmed a young Alexandria resident died Tuesday due to complications related to swine flu.

Friends say 27-year-old David Twomey had two passions in life -- communications and politics. His father told a reporter he designed his first Web site in the eighth grade for his elementary school. The news that Twomey died from complications related to swine flu has hit many people hard.

At his Alexandria apartment complex, there were no memorials for Twomey but words of caring and concern came from his neighbors.

Neighbor Robert Morlan was among those who was saddened the H1N1 Virus would take the life of someone so young. "I'm shocked," he said. "You always think it's somebody else, it's somewhere else."

Twomey died Tuesday at Virginia Hospital Center. Sources say he fell ill June 24 and lab tests confirmed besides the swine flu virus, Twomey also had strep throat and a staph infection.

"Usually it's the elderly or the very young. But now it's people in their twenties so it is kind of scary," said Brooke Morris, an Arlington resident.

Twomey's Facebook page is filled with messages of sadness but also memories of good times. A native of Portland, Maine, Twomey moved to the D.C. area in 2007 where he worked for the EPA and the federal courts in public affairs.

"Whenever you lose a life in your complex, it's a life lost. [It] hits the community," said Maurice Snipe, a neighbor.

While it's shocking, it's also a tragic wake up call. Morris, who says she's researched the H1N1 Virus, has concerns about what may happen when flu season hits.

"It's going to be interesting to see how this strain kind of -- how it all pans out. I think it's kind of almost the calm before the storm," she said.

Many wonder about Twomey and what would have been of the young man who had so much potential. "So early in the American dream --- a person's dying of a communicable disease," said Morlan.

Sources say a funeral service for Twomey is scheduled for Tuesday in Portland, Maine.

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