Police Respond to ‘Active Shooting’ in Washington, D.C. - Newsweek

Five people have been shot and one has died in a shooting in a trendy Washington, D.C. neighborhood within walking distance of the White House.

Jeffrey Carroll, interim chief with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), confirmed the death, and said the suspected shooter had shot themselves while barricaded inside an apartment. He added that the man apparently had a dispute with the building’s homeowners' association.

The shootings were reported in Logan Circle, an area known for its restaurants and bars and police urged the public to avoid the 1500 block of 15th Street, as officers responded to multiple locations.

Brooke Pinto, a Washington City councilmember, wrote on X that the shooting had taken place outside VIDA Fitness, with witnesses inside the gym claiming one person had died. The owner of VIDA, David von Storch, told NBC News that he was "very concerned" about the gym's members.

An anonymous law enforcement official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said authorities believe the gunman shot at least one person inside the gym before going outside and firing again. He shot one person in a parking garage elevator and then barricaded himself on the seventh floor of the building

Witness James Spellman told Associated Press (AP) he was at the gym a little after 8 a.m. when he heard shots being fired. He said there were about 50 people in the gym at the time.

“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.”

Anthony Marones was on a treadmill in the gym as the shooting unfolded. He told Sky News: "I just heard a loud bang, that's it. There wasn't no argument or anything like that. The thing with VIDA is you have to scan to get inside, so either someone let him in, or he's a member. People who saw it just ran because they knew what was happening.

"Everyone else -- 95% of people didn't know what was happening, they just heard a loud bang. Maybe they thought a bouncy ball had popped, or it was a gunshot.

"I was on the treadmill when it happened. I saw someone laying [on the floor]. Someone said, 'he's dead.' I take a peak and he's not moving at all. The people on the cardio area had to walk over him."

In August 2025, former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee Edward Coristine, nicknamed "Big Balls," was assaulted during an attempted carjacking in the Logan Circle neighbourhood. Two 15-year-olds later pleaded guilty to simple assault and were sentenced to probation rather than jail time, prompting criticism from President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Days later, Trump imposed direct federal control over the city, sending in hundreds of National Guard members to reduce crime. The president has repeatedly claimed his intervention has made the capital safer.

Washington D.C. recorded 88 homicides between January 1 and November 12 this year, down 26 percent from 119 during the same period last year, according to MPD figures.

Sex abuse and robbery were also down but other violent offenses have risen. Assaults with a dangerous weapon increased 39 percent, from 812 to 1,127, while violent crime overall rose 11 percent. Total reported crime fell 11 percent.

Newsweek has contacted the DC Police Department for comment.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.