Washington police identify one dead, four injured after Logan Circle shooting
A suspect opened fire at Vida Fitness gym before dying in a nearby apartment, leaving one person dead and three others stable.
By Nia Foster ·
One person died and at least four others were injured when a man opened fire inside a gym in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., on Thursday morning. The violence began at Vida Fitness, a facility located 1.3 kilometers from the White House, before the suspect barricaded himself inside a nearby apartment.
Police sources said the shooter fired through a door and established communication with officers. Federal authorities reported that the unidentified man died from his wounds while inside what appeared to be his residence. The police confirmed that one victim died at the scene of the incident.
At a press conference, officials stated that four other victims survived the shooting. One of those individuals is in critical condition, while the remaining three do not appear to be in danger of dying. Authorities noted that the injured group included construction workers on a nearby street and people waiting in the lobby of the building that houses the gym.
Witnesses inside the facility described a chaotic scene after the gunfire started. One testigo, who was on a treadmill when the shooting began, heard a loud bang and thought a ball had exploded or a picture frame had fallen. The witness saw one victim lying on the ground.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed the public shortly after the incident. She described the loss of life as a result of senseless gun violence and expressed the city's consternation. Local authorities alerted residents to an active shooter just after 08:00 local time, or 13:00 GMT. They advised citizens to avoid the area and secure their doors and windows.
Emergency response teams mobilized dozens of police cars, fire trucks, and armored vehicles to the scene. Officers armed with rifles cordoned off the streets surrounding the gym. Students at nearby schools were placed in lockdown for safety. Gun Violence Archive data indicates that 408 mass shootings have been recorded in the United States so far this year.
