WASHINGTON: A gunman opened fire at and around a gym in the Logan Circle neighborhood on Thursday morning, killing one person and injuring four others, before he barricaded himself in an apartment in the same building and shot himself, D.C. police said. The suspected shooter was later pronounced dead.
Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said the first calls came in just before 8 a.m. reporting a shooting inside the VIDA Fitness gym in the 1500 block of 15th Street Northwest, near P Street, about a mile north of the White House. Officers reached the scene within 30 seconds, Carroll said.
Police found one person dead inside the gym. Four other people were taken to area hospitals, one in critical condition and three with injuries that were not life threatening, Carroll said. D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said his crews transported the four wounded.
Authorities believe the suspect shot at least one person inside the gym and then fired again outside, where members of a construction crew across the street were among those hit. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press investigators believe the gunman also shot a person in a parking garage elevator before barricading himself in a seventh floor apartment in the same building.
The Metropolitan Police Department issued a critical alert at 8:23 a.m. saying it was on the scene of an active shooting at 15th and P Streets Northwest, with its Emergency Response Team responding, and urging people to avoid the area. A shelter in place order covered the block, nearby schools were locked down, and much of 15th Street was cordoned off for hours.
Negotiators spoke with the man by phone for about an hour while he fired through the apartment door at officers at least twice, Carroll said. Officers then heard a gunshot, forced their way in and found him with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A law enforcement official confirmed to the AP that the man had died, and Councilmember Brooke Pinto, who represents the area, also said the shooter was dead. Police said the barricade had ended and the scene was safe, though significant traffic closures remained around 15th and P Streets.
Carroll said the suspect was a member of the gym and that police believe a handgun was used. His name has not been released. The chief said investigators are still working to establish a motive, but they are aware of a dispute between the man and the homeowners association of the building where he barricaded himself. “We do know there was a conflict between him and the homeowners association of that building,” Carroll said. “We’re continuing to look into that.”
Witness James Spellman said about 50 people were in the gym when the shooting began. “Within seconds there was a man who fell to the ground, and a pool of blood came out,” he told the AP.
Mayor Muriel Bowser, who joined the chief at a news conference, called the shooting “a senseless act of gun violence.” The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sent agents to the scene, and the FBI’s Washington field office said it was helping local police with the investigation. VIDA Fitness told members its Logan Circle location would stay closed until further notice.
Zark News carried the scene live on its Live Desk on Thursday morning. Watch the live coverage here: Live: View from Logan Circle in Washington.
Police have not released the names of the victims. This is a developing story and will be updated as officials confirm more details.
