A Gunman, a Building Dispute and a Morning of Lockdown in Logan Circle

A gunman opened fire inside a VIDA Fitness gym in Washington's Logan Circle neighborhood early Thursday, killing one man and wounding four other people. He then retreated to his seventh-floor condo, barricaded himself inside, and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Metropolitan Police Department as reported by CNN and NPR.

The shooting happened in the 1500 block of 15th Street NW, about a mile north of the White House. The man killed was the building's 46-year-old manager, who died inside the gym. Outlets have spelled his surname two different ways, Stuart and Stewart, and we have not been able to confirm which is correct, so we are not using it here.

The motive police have described so far is a conflict with the apartment building where the gunman lived. Police have not said anything further, and several details remain unconfirmed.

How the Morning Unfolded

The first call came in just before 8 a.m. Police interim chief Carroll told Fox 5 that officers reached the gym within 30 seconds of being dispatched. Accounts of where the other four were hit differ: some outlets place victims at ground level and on a balcony, Fox 5 reported construction workers among those shot outside, Axios described victims at a construction site, and CNN mentioned a parking garage. NBC News reported one of the wounded was in critical condition; Axios described one as seriously injured.

The gunman went up to his condo. According to 7News, Carroll said he fired through his apartment door at least twice while negotiators worked. A fire was also set in the unit, and the sprinklers activated, NPR reported. After more than an hour of negotiation, shots were heard and officers forced their way in. He was found dead. 7News, as relayed by CBS Austin, reported that three guns were found in the condo: a shotgun, a rifle and a handgun.

MPD declared the barricade over and the scene safe around 11:10 a.m., and the shelter-in-place order for the neighborhood was lifted around 11:35 a.m., Axios reported. FBI and Secret Service personnel were on scene, according to Al Jazeera.

A Dispute With the Building

Carroll described the motive as "some sort of a conflict with the apartment building," according to 7News, and NPR reported he tied it to a dispute with the homeowners association. 7News reported that the dispute involved mold.

Western Journal, citing City Cast DC, reported that the shooter was a board-certified emergency physician. NBC News, citing court records, described him only as a medical doctor. Neither detail has been confirmed by police. A supposed manifesto posted on X has surfaced only as a headline link on one local station's site and has not been verified.

Early Reports, Loose Ends

As usual on a fast-moving morning, the first versions of the story ran ahead of the facts. The Daily Wire published a version describing a city on lockdown with the gunman still barricaded and no death reported. It quoted a resident who said it "Feels like a war zone in DuPont right now," though the shooting was in Logan Circle, not Dupont Circle. Western Journal reported the suspect dead based on Fox News citing two unnamed officers before police confirmed it; police have since confirmed it. We could not read the full Western Journal article, so we rely on excerpts of it.

Western Journal, citing Fox News, and the Daily Wire, citing 7News, both said the gunman fired on police. Police have described shots through his door during negotiations but have not described a specific exchange of fire with officers.

VIDA Fitness president Aaron Moore said the Logan Circle location is temporarily closed. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the White House had been briefed, according to Western Journal. She was also quoted as saying, "Someone was killed in our city this morning, a senseless act of gun violence," in a version relayed through Charisma. We could not check that quote against a primary source.

What Comes Next

With the shooter dead, there will be no charges and no trial. Open items include the medical examiner's findings, the condition of the four wounded, a full review of the HOA and any court records behind the dispute, the FBI's role, and whether any officer fired a weapon.