Five Shot Near Logan Circle Gym in D.C. as Suspect Remains at Large

Five people were shot early Thursday in Washington's Logan Circle neighborhood, about 1 mile north of the White House, according to reports from Fox 2 Detroit, The Mirror US and The Associated Press. Police responded to an active shooter and a barricade situation across multiple locations, and the shooter had not been caught, a department spokesperson said.

The gunfire was reported around 8 a.m. near 15th and P streets. Police asked people to stay away from the area, and a shelter-in-place order covered the immediate vicinity just before 9 a.m., The Washington Sun reported.

What police and officials have said

Police spokesperson Nicole Deaner said the locations of the shootings were unclear and that the shooter remained at large, according to The Mirror US. Officer Nathan Clarke said further details were not immediately available, including the exact location of the gunfire, what the barricade involved and how badly the victims were hurt, the AP reported.

A department spokesperson told The Washington Sun that the situation was “fluid” and that there was an active shooter at the VIDA Fitness gym. Ward 2 D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto wrote on social media that shootings took place at and around the fitness center, that multiple people were shot and that the suspect was still at large, the Sun reported.

The Metropolitan Police Department's Emergency Response Team was on the scene. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it sent agents to help, according to The Mirror US. The department confirmed the shooting in a post on X.

Reports differ on the number of victims in early coverage. A headline on Fox 2 Detroit referred to four injured, while the text of that article and The Mirror US said five people were shot. The Washington Sun, citing sources briefed on the situation, said only that there were multiple victims.

What witnesses describe

Michael Carney, a regular at the gym, told The Washington Sun he was on a treadmill when the shooting began. He said he first heard a single pop that he took for an exercise ball bursting, then saw a person on the gym floor who had been shot. People began to evacuate, and Carney said others hid behind planters.

Carney said people ran from the gym into a neighboring apartment building after someone pulled a fire alarm. Once outside, he said he heard what sounded like five or 10 more shots from the alley, which led him to think the shooter or shooters had left the gym. Another social media user cited by The Mirror US also reported additional gunshots after the first volley, though that claim was not verified.

Suzanne Garwood, who was also inside, told the Sun she heard a loud noise from the ladies' locker room and more shots after she was evacuated. She said she had heard that a man was shot in the gym and a woman inside an elevator. Kevin Schweer, president of the condo building above the gym, told the Sun he had heard the same account about the gym and that he saw another shooting victim in the parking garage elevator.

Why it matters for people in the neighborhood

The area affected is a mix of homes, a gym, a church and shops. Authorities cordoned off much of the 1500 block of 15th Street, which includes residences, the VIDA fitness center and St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and which sits around the corner from a Whole Foods supermarket. Police urged the public to avoid the area, and streets nearby were blocked during what The Mirror US called a massive police response.

Because the suspect had not been caught and police said the response was continuing, residents and workers nearby faced restrictions on movement while the shelter-in-place order and street closures remained in place. Residents posted photos from their windows showing a heavy police presence, The Mirror US reported.

What remains unclear

Police have not said who the shooter is, how many suspects there may be, what prompted the gunfire or how seriously the five victims were injured. They also have not detailed the barricade situation. The investigation and the police response were both ongoing, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by FOX 2 Detroit, NOTUS, The Mirror US

Cover photo: Carol M. Highsmith / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)