Five people were shot early Thursday in Washington, DC’s Logan Circle neighbourhood, about a mile north of the White House, police said. Officers responded to reports of shootings at multiple locations, while a witness said one victim was shot dead inside a gym.
The suspect was barricaded near the site of the initial shooting, the Metropolitan Police Department said. SWAT teams were also seen responding to an upper floor of a nearby apartment building.
Police urged people to avoid the 1500 block of 15th Street, which houses a VIDA Fitness centre, St Luke’s Episcopal Church and several residences. The area, located around the corner from a Whole Foods supermarket, was largely cordoned off, while nearby schools were placed under lockdown.
James Spellman, who was at the gym shortly after 8 am, said he heard gunfire while around 50 people were inside.
"Within seconds, there was a man who fell to the ground, and a pool of blood came out," he said. "One gym member rushed to help him. He was instantly dead. He had been shot in the neck."
Spellman said he and other gym members fled the premises. He added that he heard further gunfire on 15th Street, estimating that around two shots were fired inside the gym and another five or six outside.
{{/usCountry}}Spellman said he and other gym members fled the premises. He added that he heard further gunfire on 15th Street, estimating that around two shots were fired inside the gym and another five or six outside.
{{/usCountry}}Streets surrounding the neighbourhood were also blocked off as a large police contingent responded to the incident. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it had deployed agents to assist at the scene, while the FBI’s Washington field office was helping local authorities with the investigation.
Another witness, Ryan Dubicki, said he was in his apartment nearby at around 8 am when he heard what sounded like five loud bangs.
"They were really spread out so I thought it was construction," he said, adding that he noticed police officers across the area shortly afterwards.
Building managers subsequently sent residents a notice warning of a possible active shooter.
Logan Circle has witnessed violence in the past. In early August 2025, a former member of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency was assaulted by a group of teenagers attempting to carjack him and a woman early on a Sunday morning, authorities said.
Days after the incident, Trump followed through on his threat to override local authority and assume direct federal control of Washington, deploying hundreds of National Guard personnel as part of a crackdown on crime. The deployment remains in place.