The evening, the streets around VIDA Fitness, where the shooting began, were quiet. Several nearby businesses remained closed, with police tape blocking storefronts and officers keeping watch.
- Council member Brooke Pinto held a vigil. People left flowers and notes outside VIDA. “Logan Circle is still a place of love,” one read. “VIDA, you are and will continue to be a refuge for many,” read another.
- But life also went on: A delivery van unloaded Christmas trees at Whole Foods and bars on 14th Street posted signs advertising happy hour.
What we know: At an afternoon news conference, MPD Acting Chief Jeffery W. Carroll identified the suspect as Matt Wade Lambert, 55, who lived in the building connected to VIDA Fitness.
- The man killed was James Stuart, 46, a building manager and Northwest D.C. resident, Carroll said.
- Police believe the shooting was related to an ongoing dispute between Lambert and his condo association over maintenance issues, including mold.
The timeline: Police responded to a shooting inside VIDA Fitness, at 15th and P streets NW, just before 8 a.m. Other reports of nearby shootings followed.
- Carroll said the shootings themselves likely happened in less than five minutes, although investigators are still piecing together the timeline.
The victims: Stuart was pronounced dead inside VIDA. Police said the gunman then returned to his apartment, where he shot at people below from a private balcony on the upper floor.
- Two men and two women were hospitalized. One of them was seriously injured.
The impasse: Lambert barricaded himself in his apartment, where he broke a gas line connected to his fireplace and started a fire inside the apartment, according to police. Flames were visible outside the building, but sprinklers helped contain the fire.
- Police recovered gasoline and other flammable materials.
- Police negotiators heard a gunshot while speaking with Lambert on the phone, after which he stopped answering. Officers forced entry and found him suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Weapons: Investigators recovered a handgun, a shotgun and a rifle from Lambert’s apartment. Carroll said the suspect used all three firearms, none of which were registered in Washington.
Behind the scenes: Lambert had been fighting his condo association over alleged leaks and mold, according to court records. He filed a complaint against the group in March 2025.
- A few months later, he told Michael Brice-Saddler, now a reporter for the Washington Sun, that he had spent nearly $200,000 on legal and engineering fees.
- In these interviews, Lambert said he knew Stuart’s daily gym routine.
What we don’t know: Police have not determined whether Lambert knew the four surviving victims or whether he deliberately targeted them.
- The precise timing and extent of the alleged planning is also under investigation.
Context: The shooting prompted a massive response from local and federal authorities, including MPD, DC Fire and EMS, US Park Police, Metro Transit Police and other federal law enforcement agencies.
- Asked if the show of force was due to the proximity to the White House, about a mile away, Carroll said it was because police were responding to an active shooter. “People are expected to go there to try to stop the loss of life,” he said. Mayor Bowser confirmed that the White House had been informed.
- President Trump has strengthened federal law enforcement in Washington through his Safe and Beautiful Task Force. In a speech before the midterm elections last week, Trump declared Washington DC “one of the safest cities in the country.”
- Asked about Trump’s role in reducing crime during Thursday morning’s briefing, Bowser responded: “I commend MPD for reducing crime in the city, and I commend our prosecutors.”
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