46-year-old James Stewart was identified as the victim fatally shot by suspect Dr. Matt Lambert inside the VIDA Fitness gym in Washington D.C.'s Logan Circle on Wednesday afternoon.
James Stewart was inside the gym when Lambert walked in with a handgun and fatally shot him. Stewart, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was the only deceased victim in the shooting. Five others were injured.
The suspect, Matt Wade Lambert, was identified as a 55-year-old doctor by the MPD. He was first identified by NBC News citing teo federal sources.
He was fighting a lawsuit against the building's homeowners' association, Metropole Condominium Association, alleging that mould and water leakage developed in the apartment following repairs in the building.
Deep Dive
What was the dispute between Matt Lambert and the Metropole Condominium Association about?
Why are investigators examining Lambert’s condo lawsuit as a possible motive?
What engineering report did Matt Lambert post before the shooting?
The lawsuit, filed in March 2025, is being investigated by MPD as a possible motive behind the shooting.
{{/usCountry}}The lawsuit, filed in March 2025, is being investigated by MPD as a possible motive behind the shooting.
{{/usCountry}}Lambert posted on X about his lawsuit and, more generally, about the issues with the condo on an X account. In a screenshot of the lawsuit shared on the account, James Stuart was named as one of the defendants by Lambert.
“We do know that there has been an ongoing dispute between the suspect in this case and the building, condo, homeowners' association management regarding maintenance issues, mold and the like," interim police chief Carroll said. "That there was a civil case that he filed against them. So we believe that it’s related to that."
James Stuart's role in Matt Lambert's lawsuit
James Stuart was the property manager of the Metropole Condos location in Logan Circle. City Cast DC reports citing the March 2025 lawsuit that Stuart had testified before the court “regarding Dr. Lambert’s reports of water intrusion and mold, the management company’s response, and his communication with the Board, engineers, and contractors regarding inspection, insurance and remediation.”
Brooke Pinto, the Council Member of Ward 2 in D.C., said that Stuart was the only targeted hit of Lambert. The rest of the injuries, according to interim MPD chief Jeff Carroll, took place as Lambert opened fired from the patio of his seventh-floor condo on Wednesday morning.
“He had a patio balcony there, and we believe he shot from that location, striking the four other individuals that were shot in this case,” Carroll said.
Chief Carroll added that three guns were found from the apartment. A handgun that the police believe was used in the shooting, a rifle and a shotgun. Carroll said that it was unclear how the firearms were purchased and they are investigating it. However, none of the three guns were registered in DC, Carroll said.
This story is being updated.