Gym Gunman Targeted Building Manager Over Mold Lawsuit, D.C. Police Say

Investigators in Washington say the gunman in Thursday's shooting in the Logan Circle neighborhood was a 55-year-old resident of the building who was suing over mold and moisture problems in his condo, and that he went after the building's manager. Interim Metropolitan Police Department Chief Jeffery Carroll said police believe the attack was tied to that long-running dispute, though he said details remain limited.

The shooter was identified as Matt Lambert. One person was killed and four others were wounded before Lambert died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his apartment, police said.

What police say about the motive

According to ABC News, which cited court records, Lambert filed a lawsuit last year alleging he had not been able to enjoy his seventh-floor penthouse since 2024 because of mold, moisture and water problems. He claimed the trouble began after a contractor worked on the building's exterior. The case was still pending, with mediation scheduled for next March, according to court filings.

WJLA, the Washington ABC affiliate also known as 7News, reported that it found court documents with Lambert's name in a legal dispute with the Metropole Condominium Association, which is connected to the complex. Police later confirmed he was involved in that dispute. Council member Brooke Pinto told 7News that Lambert was allegedly in litigation with the building manager and was targeting that person.

Carroll told reporters police believed there was some kind of conflict with the apartment building but had little more than that so far, adding that it would be part of the continuing investigation.

Social media posts have circulated in which the account holder appears to describe grievances with building management and a civil lawsuit. ABC News reported that Lambert appeared to share photos and an engineering report about his condo problems on an X account. Police have not confirmed that Lambert wrote the posts, 7News reported.

How the morning unfolded

Police received a call about a shooting inside the Vida Fitness gym in the 1500 block of 15th Street NW just before 8 a.m. Officers arrived within about 30 seconds and found one person shot inside, who died at the scene. The victim was identified as James Stuart, 46, the building manager. Lambert was also a member of the gym, officials said.

Police then found four other people who had been shot nearby. All four were taken to a hospital, and one has critical injuries. Officials said Lambert shot those four from the balcony of his seventh-floor apartment.

Officers cleared the gym and an apartment building on the same block, and gunshots were heard on the seventh floor. Police determined the suspect had barricaded himself inside his apartment. Hostage negotiators reached him by phone and spoke with him for more than an hour, mostly about issues with his apartment, police said. Carroll said Lambert fired through his front door at least twice during the negotiations, and no officers were hurt.

Officers then heard a final gunshot and forced their way in. They found Lambert with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and he later died.

Fire, gas and weapons found in the apartment

Carroll said Lambert broke the gas line to his fireplace and started a fire. Police found gasoline and possibly other flammable materials inside the apartment. The building's sprinklers went off and helped contain the flames, and D.C. fire crews, who arrived within minutes, shut off the gas to the building, Carroll said.

Investigators found three guns in the condo: a shotgun, a rifle and a handgun. Carroll said none was registered to Lambert in Washington.

What this means for residents

The shooting disrupted daily life well beyond the building. The gym was locked down and closed for the rest of the day, and D.C. Public Schools placed dozens of schools on alert status until the lockdowns were lifted at 11:30 a.m. A stretch of 15th Street between P and R streets was still closed as of the latest WJLA update. The block also includes St. Luke's Episcopal Church, homes and a Whole Foods store.

Residents described shock. Danielle Beck, who lives one floor below Lambert, told 7News she has lived in D.C. for 20 years and has always felt safe in the neighborhood. She said she and a friend had talked the night before about going to the gym that morning but decided to sleep in.

Mayor Muriel Bowser called the shooting a senseless act of gun violence and said the city was devastated by the loss of life. She thanked police, fire and EMS crews and local and federal responders, and said the White House had been briefed. Mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George said her condolences went to the victims, their families and residents, and thanked the officers and first responders who ran toward danger.

What happens next

Carroll said the investigation is continuing, including the question of what exactly the conflict with the building involved. MPD's Emergency Response Team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI's Washington office were at the scene.

Earlier on Around Prague: Five Shot Near Logan Circle Gym in D.C.; Gunman Later Found Dead

Read next
Three People Confronted a Teen Gunman at an Oregon Elementary School, Police Say
Five Shot Near Logan Circle Gym in D.C. as Suspect Remains at Large
US passenger sues BA for over £50,000 after Heathrow steps fall

Around Prague, based on reporting by KEYE, WJLA, ABC7 Bay Area