A doctor has been identified as the gunman who shot five people in Washington DC, killing one, before barricading himself inside an apartment and taking his own life, according to law enforcement sources cited by NBC News.
The shootings occurred in the Logan Circle neighbourhood, around one mile north of the White House. Shots were fired inside the Vida Logan Circle gym, whose representatives said the premises will remain closed until further notice "following a shooting".
Suspect Identified as Dr Matt Lambert
The suspect has been named as Dr Matt Lambert, who had reportedly been in a long-running feud with the Metropole Condominium Association, which operates the luxury residential tower on 15th Street near Logan Circle. An X account believed to be linked to Dr Lambert complained of water damage and mold in the property. Its last post came at 8.06am local time and stated: "My manifesto is an engineering report."
According to NBC News, the suspect was identified by two federal law enforcement officials.
Three Stages of the Attack
Law enforcement sources cited by NBC News said the shooting happened in three stages. Firstly, the shooter allegedly went to the gym and targeted a particular victim without attacking any other people. He then walked out and allegedly sprayed bullets, going back inside the apartment and barricading himself. He then allegedly started firing shots into the hallway and through the door before shooting and killing himself.
Police chief Jeffery W Carroll said negotiators heard a gunshot while "talking to him [the suspect] on the phone", which is when he "stopped communicating with them". Officers forced entry into the flat and found the man "suffering from a gunshot wound".
Scene Safe, Roads Closed
In an update, the DC Police Department said the scene is now safe but "significant" road closures are still in place. The statement reads: "The barricade has concluded. The scene is safe. Significant traffic closures remain in place. The Metropolitan Police Department is still asking the public to avoid the area."
Carroll confirmed that five people were shot in total, with one confirmed dead and another critically injured. Of the four injured victims, one is in a critical condition, while the other three appear to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Carroll said officers arrived at the scene "right away" and provided medical treatment before the victims were taken to local hospitals.
According to a police official who spoke anonymously to the Associated Press, authorities believe the suspect shot at least one person inside a gym before moving outside and opening fire again. Investigators also believe another person was shot in a parking garage lift before the suspect barricaded himself on the seventh floor of an apartment building.
Vida Fitness owner David van Storch told NBC News he is "very concerned" about the shooting and is out of state and "trying to get back to D.C. as quickly as possible". He said none of the managers at the gym are allowed on the premises at the moment and that he has "no idea" who the shooter was.
Witness James Spellman, who was at the gym a little after 8 am local time, said there were about 50 people in the gym when he heard shots. He said: "Within seconds there was a man who fell to the ground, and a pool of blood came out. One gym member rushed to help him. He was instantly dead. He had been shot in the neck." He added that he heard about two shots fired in the gym and five or six others outside.
Police urged people to avoid the area of the 1500 block of 15th Street, which includes a VIDA fitness centre, St. Luke's Episcopal Church and residences and is around the corner from a Whole Foods supermarket. The suspect's death was confirmed to the AP by a law enforcement official who was not authorised to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity.
