A Thursday morning workout turned deadly in Washington, D.C., after a gunman opened fire inside a VIDA Fitness gym in the Logan Circle neighborhood, killing one person and leaving four others injured. The shooting, which began around 8 a.m. on November 12, sent terrified gym members running for their lives as gunfire spread to the surrounding streets. The suspected gunman later barricaded himself inside a nearby apartment building, where he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities confirmed.
The first shots were fired inside the gym near the intersection of 15th and P streets NW. According to witnesses, roughly 50 people were inside the facility when the shooting started. One witness described seeing a man collapse after being shot in the neck. Blood quickly spread across the floor as another gym member rushed to help him, but the victim had already died.
Other people inside the gym scrambled for safety. Some ran out of the building, while others rushed toward the basement and barricaded themselves behind a door. One witness said about 40 people fled toward the basement after hearing gunfire. Nobody knew how many shots would follow or whether the gunman was still inside.
Police believe the suspect continued shooting after leaving the gym. Investigators said he fired at people outside before shooting another person inside an elevator in a nearby parking garage. The violence left five people shot in total, including the person who died at the gym.
Four surviving victims were rushed to hospitals. D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly Sr. said one of them suffered serious injuries, while the other three had injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Authorities had not released the victims’ names as the investigation continued.
The shooting also triggered a massive police response across Logan Circle. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and other emergency agencies rushed to the neighborhood. Police blocked surrounding streets and urged residents and visitors to stay away. Nearby schools restricted movement in and out of their buildings, while people inside homes and businesses were told to remain sheltered.
The search for the gunman eventually led officers to a nearby apartment building, where he barricaded himself on the seventh floor. Police said the suspect fired shots through the apartment door at responding officers. Negotiators then spent more than an hour communicating with him in an effort to bring the situation under control. During the standoff, officers heard another gunshot coming from inside the apartment.
Police eventually entered the apartment and found the suspect with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His death was later confirmed by a law enforcement official. Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said investigators believed the shooting was connected to a dispute between the suspect and the apartment building’s homeowners association. Authorities also believed the man was a member of the VIDA Fitness gym.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed sadness over the killing and thanked police officers, firefighters and emergency medical workers for their quick response. Witnesses described a frightening morning in a neighborhood where residents and business owners were suddenly forced to run for cover. What began as an ordinary morning at the gym ended with one person dead, four others injured and a community left searching for answers.