Washington, D.C., gym shooting leaves 1 dead as 4 others are wounded nearby

The shootings unfolded in the Logan Circle neighborhood, approximately a mile from the White House, as authorities responded to multiple victims.

Five people were shot in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Nov. 12, including a man killed inside a gym in the Logan Circle neighborhood, according to the Associated Press. The suspect later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a nearby apartment after speaking with police negotiators, authorities said.

The shootings began around 8 a.m. near 15th Street Northwest, approximately a mile north of the White House, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. The incident prompted a major law enforcement response, with streets cordoned off and nearby schools placed on lockdown. Police said the first victim was shot and killed inside a VIDA Fitness center. Another person was critically injured, while three additional victims were shot during the subsequent violence.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene as gym members tried to understand what was happening and escape. James Spellman, who was inside the gym, said approximately 50 people were present when the shooting began. He recalled seeing a man collapse after being shot in the neck.

“Within seconds there was a man who fell to the ground, and a pool of blood came out,” Spellman told The Associated Press. “One gym member rushed to help him. He was instantly dead.” Another gym member, Anthony Mirones, said he initially mistook the gunshot for something falling before a fire alarm sounded and people began running. “The people in cardio had to step over the body,” Mirones said.

According to interim Metropolitan Police Department Chief Jeffery Carroll, the suspect fled the gym and shot four other people before entering a nearby apartment building. The suspect eventually died by suicide inside a seventh-floor apartment after speaking with police negotiators by phone.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed grief over the violence, describing it as a “senseless act of gun violence.” Police urged residents and visitors to avoid the area as officers secured the scene. The incident also renewed attention on public safety in Logan Circle, which has experienced violence in recent years.