Local law enforcement and the national guard respond to reports of a shooting on 12 November 2026, in Washington DC. Photograph: Tom Brenner/APView image in fullscreenLocal law enforcement and the national guard respond to reports of a shooting on 12 November 2026, in Washington DC. Photograph: Tom Brenner/APSuspect in Washington DC gym shooting dead by suicide as four people injured and one deadAuthorities identify suspect as ‘white male’ who was a member at VIDA Fitness, the gym where people were shot
Four people were injured and one person died after a shooting in Northwest Washington DC on Thursday morning, local police said.
In a Thursday morning press conference, authorities identified the suspect as a “white male” who had been “contained”. Shortly after the press conference, police confirmed that the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officials said that they believe that the suspect was in some sort of “conflict between him and the the homeowners association of that building”.
Jeffery Carroll, the interim chief of police for the Metropolitan police department (MPD), told reporters that the department received a report of a shooting just before 8am ET at the 1500 block of 15th Street inside of a gym. He said officers were dispatched to the area and were on the scene within 30 seconds.
The police said they located an adult male that had been shot, and then received multiple other calls for additional gunshots and victims.
Carroll said that four people were shot and transported to the hospital and one individual died on the scene. Among those who were transported, one is “determined to be in critical condition”.
“When officers got on the scene, they began canvassing, attempting to locate the suspect in this case,” Carroll said. “While they were on the scene, they were able to begin to clear the building where the shootings occurred.”
While clearing an apartment building on the block, Carroll noted that “gunshots rang out on the seventh floor, and since that time, we have determined the suspect had barricaded themselves in an apartment on the seventh floor of that building”. The emergency response team “responded to the scene as well as additional resources from many federal partners”.
“Our negotiators with their emergency response team were also able to make contact with the suspect inside the apartment,” Carroll continued. “They’ve been talking to him for over the past hour, again attempting to try to resolve the situation. Just moments ago, while communicating with that individual, officers heard a gunshot. As a response to that, officers forced entry into the apartment. When they did that, they located the suspect suffering from a gunshot wound.”
Police are “still evaluating that to make sure we clear the entire building”. They also noted later on Thursday morning that the scene was “safe” but that the public should still “avoid the area”.
The gunman was a member of the gym affected, which has been identified as VIDA Fitness. Police said that they know that at least at “one point in time” the shooter had a handgun.
“We don’t know if there’s other weapons that are involved or not,” they said.
Brooke Pinto, a DC council member, told Fox 5 DC that the suspect had been in “litigation recently with his building owner and we believe the suspect went into VIDA fitness to target that building owner to shoot him and kill him, which he did, and it’s just an awful, unacceptable situation that something that could be resolved led to a murder … It’s just outrageous.”
The “suspect then left VIDA and shot others outside, several construction workers, a woman, we don’t know if those were randomized shootings, as he may have been trying to flee the scene, then went back into the apartment building and a barricade was around him, he set parts of the building on fire, and I just want to thank our first responders and our SWAT teams,” Pinto continued.
Pinto confirmed that the suspect “shot himself” and is “now dead”.
The mayor of Washington DC, Muriel Bowser, called the shooting a “senseless act of gun violence” at the news conference and confirmed that the White House had been briefed.
In an email to members seen by the Guardian, VIDA Fitness said that the Logan Circle club is “currently closed as is the surrounding area”.
“Please do not travel to the Logan Circle area at this time,” the statement added. “We will update you and send out a more detailed messaged once we have more information.”
VIDA Fitness DC confirmed in a statement on social media that its Logan Circle location was “temporarily closed” following the shooting and that it will remain closed until further notice.
“The safety and well-being of our members, guests and team are our highest priority,” it said. “We ask that you avoid traveling to the Logan Circle location and surrounding area until further notice.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident,” the statement added. “We understand that this news may be deeply concerning to our VIDA community.”
A witness to the shooting, 23-year-old Anthony Mirones, said he had gone to VIDA Fitness in the morning and was on the treadmill when he heard the first loud “bang” at about 8am and saw a man lying dead on the floor with blood nearby.
“Everyone’s confused. I’m confused,” Mirones said. “Did the painting fall?”
He went toward the noise and saw someone on the ground. A person standing closer to the body looked back and told him the man was dead.
“So I come a little closer and I see body on floor, some blood,” Mirones said. “I’m thinking about the loud bangs. I’m like, ‘Gunshot.’”
He says a woman tried to give first aid but stopped almost immediately. Mirones believed the man’s wound was to his the upper body, near his neck.
Soon the fire alarm went off, and everyone began to evacuate. “The thing is, people who are in the cardio area kind of have to step over the body to exit.”
Outside, at the entrance, police officers rushed in. “One police officer unholsters his gun, and then another police officer is asking for a description of the assailant,” Mirones said. “While [another witness] is describing the assailant, we hear five or so gunshots, and then we just all scatter and run.”
Several schools in the area have been placed under “alert status” as public safety teams continue responding to the incident.
Fox Style News Syndicate. Sourced from broadcast reporting: Read Full Source Coverage.