Gunfire at a Washington, D.C., gym left one person dead and four injured Thursday morning as police surrounded a nearby apartment building during an active shooter situation. The November 12 shooting occurred near VIDA Fitness at 15th and P streets NW, about a mile from the White House. D.C. Metropolitan Police interim Chief Jeffery Carroll confirmed the death and said one of the four surviving victims was in critical condition. The remaining three suffered “non-life-threatening injuries.”
During a late-morning briefing, Carroll said officers had located the suspected gunman in a nearby apartment building with a gunshot wound. The man was “contained,” police said, although authorities had not disclosed his identity, how he was wounded or whether he was in custody.
Investigators are also looking into a possible dispute involving the residential building. Carroll said the suspect had experienced “some sort of conflict with the apartment building.”
“We do know there was a conflict between him and the homeowners association of that building, but at this point we’re continuing to look into that,” Carroll said. Police have not established whether the disagreement motivated the shooting.
Officers responded shortly after 8 a.m. Police initially warned residents that a shooter was at large, issuing an alert: “CRITICAL ALERT: MPD is on the scene of an ACTIVE SHOOTING in the area of 15th and P Street, Northwest.” The department said its Emergency Response Team was responding.
Councilmember Brooke Pinto shared an urgent warning online: “Shootings at and outside Vida fitness this morning in Logan Circle. Multiple people shot.” She added, “Do not go to this area. Police looking for suspect.” Those warnings preceded the suspect’s containment.
According to the Associated Press, a law enforcement official said the gunman apparently shot someone inside the gym before firing outside and later shooting another person in a parking-garage elevator. Police have not confirmed that sequence.
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Witnesses recalled hearing gunshots, seeing blood and scrambling for shelter. One woman who was exercising on a treadmill told NBC Washington she encountered a wounded person while fleeing.
“It was actually horrific, I’m not sure the status of the guy, but he had been shot, and there was no way of getting out of the gym other than going past the scene,” she said.
“We exited, and we were telling the police guy what actually happened, and that’s when we heard other shots, and there was definitely gunpowder and smoke,” she added. The woman and others sheltered in a nearby bagel shop.
Gymgoer James Spellman told the Associated Press that about 50 people were inside. He described seeing a man collapse with a neck wound, while another member tried to help. Spellman reported hearing additional shots after people escaped the building.
Nearby resident Max Smith said he initially thought a fire alarm signaled an ordinary drill. Instead, people began rushing for safety as more gunfire rang out. “Then, we hear more shots go off, and everyone starts sprinting,” he recalled.
Smith and roughly 10 others hid inside the bathroom of a nearby bagel shop. “I’m very shaken up. You don’t expect it,” he said.
Police said the suspect also fired toward responding law enforcement officers, but no officers were struck. A federal law enforcement official told NBC News that the response had shifted from an active-shooter operation toward managing a barricaded suspect. The official said authorities did not believe anyone else was with him, and the situation was not being treated as a hostage crisis.
The shooting prompted a sweeping police response. Officers in tactical gear secured surrounding streets, while the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Secret Service, U.S. Park Police and National Guard personnel assisted. Transit officials warned about nearby bus detours and an increased police presence.
Several public schools, including Marie Reed, Ross, Thomson and Garrison elementary schools, were placed on alert status. This restricted entry and exit while activities continued inside. Police also ordered people near the 1500 block of 15th Street NW to shelter in place and stay away from windows.
VIDA Fitness owner David von Storch told NBC News he was “very concerned” about members and employees and was “trying to get back to D.C. as quickly as possible” from out of state. Unable to reach his management team inside the building, he said he had “no idea” who the shooter was.
Police had not released the dead victim’s name or identified the suspect as of the late-morning update. Authorities continued securing the scene and investigating the motive.
