WASHINGTON — A gunman killed one person and wounded four others at a fitness center in Washington’s Logan Circle neighborhood Thursday morning before barricading himself in an apartment above the gym and dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.
The attack began shortly before 8 a.m. in the busy 1500 block of 15th Street NW, roughly a mile from the White House. Police said officers reached the scene within about 30 seconds and found a man who had been shot inside the gym.
Four wounded; one remains in critical condition
Two women and two men were taken to hospitals after the shooting. One remained in critical condition, while the other three had injuries described as non-life-threatening, according to officials. The shooting triggered a large tactical response, road closures and temporary safety measures at nearby schools.
The Associated Press reported that the gunman killed a man inside the gym and wounded four other people before retreating to a seventh-floor apartment. Police negotiators reached the suspect by phone, but officers forced entry after hearing a gunshot and found him dead.
Police examine dispute involving condo association
Investigators said the suspect had an ongoing dispute with the building’s condominium association over maintenance issues, including alleged water damage and mold. Authorities cautioned that the motive remained under investigation.
ABC News identified the suspect as 55-year-old Matt Wade Lambert and the man killed as 46-year-old building manager James Stewart, citing police and law-enforcement reporting. Officials said a fire was also discovered in the building and extinguished. Police were working to determine how the fire and a damaged gas line may have related to the attack.
According to Reuters, officers searching the residential building came under fire from the seventh floor before the gunman barricaded himself. The standoff shut down streets in one of the capital’s busiest neighborhoods as heavily armed officers secured the area.
Scene secured as investigation continues
Mayor Muriel Bowser called the shooting a senseless act of gun violence and said the White House had been briefed. The shelter-in-place order for the immediate area was later lifted, but the fitness center remained closed.
Authorities are continuing to examine the suspect’s weapons, the sequence of gunfire inside and outside the gym, and whether the victims were targeted or struck as the attack unfolded. Officials said there was no continuing threat to the public after the suspect was found dead.
This is a developing story and may be updated as authorities release additional information.
