One person was killed and four others were injured Thursday morning in a shooting inside and outside a Logan Circle gym in Washington, D.C., according to local police.
The gunman, identified by law enforcement as 55-year-old Matt Wade Lambert, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after barricading himself inside his apartment in the building where the attack unfolded.
Multiple witnesses and officials described how patrons inside the Metropole building complex scrambled for exits when the gymnasium fire alarm sounded and chaos erupted.
D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto and local authorities confirmed that the shooter targeted James Stuart, 46, due to an ongoing personal conflict.
Shootings at and outside Vida fitness this morning in Logan Circle. Multiple people shot. Do not go to this area. Police looking for suspect.
Dispute Over Property Conditions
Investigators said that the violent episode stemmed from a bitter civil conflict between Lambert, the Metropole Condominium Association, and the building’s property manager regarding maintenance issues, water damage, and mold in his seventh-floor penthouse unit.
Court records show Lambert, an emergency room physician who purchased the 1-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom top-floor penthouse for $1,095,000 in 2016, had engaged in extensive litigation since March 2025. He alleged that exterior facade rehabilitation work running from April 2023 to August 2024 caused recurring water intrusion, significant moisture accumulation, and severe black mold contamination that rendered his home unlivable.
The shooting in Logan Circle this morning is horrifying. A life was lost in this unthinkable tragedy and I’m sending my sincere condolences to all the victims, their families, and DC residents living through this fear.
Records indicate he paid $15,356.95 for building envelope remediation assessments between May 2023 and April 2024 before hiring his own contractors who discovered leaking pipes and black mold inside his walls and floors, prompting him to move out on November 11, 2024.
Joel Braithwaite, an attorney who represented Lambert in the legal battle, expressed disbelief over the shooting and said that his client had spent nearly $200,000 on legal and engineering fees, even borrowing against his retirement savings while living with only a desk and a couch inside his stripped-down apartment.
Prior to the shooting, Lambert had put the penthouse on the market with intentions to relocate to New York after working for two decades in emergency rooms.
“The person I knew as a client, Dr. Matt Lambert, was an emergency room physician, someone that was in the business of healing people and helping them on a pretty bad day in their life.”
Joel Braithwaite, attorney representing the suspected shooter in the matter
Lambert Engaged in a Standoff After Starting a Fire
Following the initial gunfire inside the gym, Lambert ascended to his residence on the upper floors and engaged in a standoff. Federal and local law enforcement officials noted he went to the location with the intent to target a specific individual.
As police negotiators attempted communication, Carroll reported that Lambert intentionally severed a natural gas line to a fireplace, starting a fire that prompted the building’s sprinkler systems to activate and drew emergency responses from multiple agencies.
Tactical and SWAT units breached the apartment door after hearing a gunshot from within and discovered Lambert dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Surrounding infrastructure faced temporary disruption as nearby schools locked down and public transportation routes experienced delays before safety was restored later that morning. Mayor Muriel Bowser briefed the White House on the incident, while city officials and neighborhood residents expressed widespread shock over the tragedy.
LIVE: Mayor Bowser and MPD Provide Update on Shooting at 15th and P St NW in Washington, DC https://t.co/DLqglhvrCK
The investigation into the active shooter incident remains managed by the Metropolitan Police Department alongside federal partners.
Our Department offers sympathy for the victims and witnesses impacted by the shooting in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, D. C. this morning. Resources and support for victims and witnesses can be found at @OJPgov's Office for Victims of Crime's link below. Also…
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Michael Brice-Saddler (@TheArtist_MBS), a prize-winning reporter for the @washingtonpost, talked repeatedly with today's shooter for a story — but then got laid off before he could write it. Now at the @washingtonsun he tells the story he couldn't before. https://t.co/0PqQjLRtvm
Obsessing over his condo building's problems, the D. C. Logan Circle shooter made a dark offhand reference to Luigi Mangione last year. @TheArtist_MBS happened to be interviewing him at the time. Remarkable stuff: https://t.co/iRtgfVbZeI