Logan Circle shooting in Washington DC kills one, four injured — suspect dead
A gunman opened fire near Logan Circle in Washington DC, killing one person inside a gym and injuring four others before dying of a self-inflicted wound.
Gunman opens fire near Logan Circle gym in Washington DC
One person was killed and four others wounded in a shooting near Logan Circle in Washington DC on Tuesday morning, nbcwashington.com reports. The suspected shooter, described by police as a white male, later barricaded himself inside a nearby apartment and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The fatal victim was shot inside the VIDA Fitness gym on the corner of 15th and P Streets NW. Police have not yet released the victim's identity. Of the four injured, one was taken to hospital in critical condition; the remaining three sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to DC Metropolitan Police.
DC Councilmember Brooke Pinto confirmed in a social media statement that the shooting took place "at and outside" the Vida Fitness gym, urging residents to stay away from the area. Police first responded at approximately 8 a.m.
Witnesses describe chaos inside and outside the gym
A woman working out in the gym told News4 she heard gunshots while on a treadmill. She and other gym-goers fled the building and took shelter in the nearby Call Your Mother deli.
Oscar Vasquez, a manager at that deli, said fire alarms in the building went off shortly before the shooting became audible outside. "We heard really loud, aggressive gunshots. Not like pistols or anything," Vasquez said. "We saw people running in. The whole team came inside, we tried to get as many people that were running out into the [deli] building. After that, we locked all the doors, cops told us not to let anybody in, and we stayed very away from the windows."
Shelter-in-place order lifted after hours
Police issued a shelter-in-place order covering the entire 1500 block of 15th Street NW shortly before 9 a.m. The order was lifted at 11:35 a.m. Schools in the surrounding area were placed on alert status — meaning no entry or exit but normal activities inside — and that too was lifted at 11:25 a.m. Police continued to ask residents to avoid the area even after both orders were lifted.
The block is a busy commercial and residential strip, home to a Whole Foods, restaurants and apartment buildings in addition to the fitness gym.
Massive multi-agency response
Dozens of police vehicles and emergency response units converged on the scene. Agencies present included the FBI, ATF, DC Fire, Metro Transit Police, Homeland Security and the National Guard. Multiple medical ambulance buses were observed arriving at around 8:45 a.m. Officers in tactical gear were also deployed to the area.
Metro Transit Police announced increased police presence at several nearby Metro stations, including Dupont Circle and Farragut West.
Police said the shooter may have been in dispute with the HOA of his apartment building, though the investigation is ongoing. News4 said it was working to confirm the suspect's identity.
Mayor pushes back on crime narrative
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser described the shooting as "a senseless act of gun violence" and said she and her team were "devastated." She nevertheless rejected suggestions that the incident was representative of broader crime levels in Washington. "It's not typical to have an active shooter that guns down people in the city," Bowser said at a press conference held at around 10:30 a.m.
Bowser added that the White House had been briefed on the situation. President Donald Trump has previously cited crime statistics in the District to justify the deployment of federal agents and National Guard personnel there.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)