One person has died and four others have been injured in a at a gym in .

The incident happened shortly before 8am today (12 November) at VIDA Fitness in Logan Circle, a neighbourhood in the north-west of the US capital. Police received reports of gunfire at several locations around 15th and P streets NW.

Five people were shot in total, according to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). At least one victim was found inside the gym, with a witness telling the that the person had died.

“Within seconds there was a man who fell to the ground, and a pool of blood came out” – James Spellman on the Washington DC shooting

James Spellman, who was at the fitness centre when the shooting began, said he saw a man collapse after being shot.

“Within seconds there was a man who fell to the ground, and a pool of blood came out,” Spellman told the AP. “One gym member rushed to help him. He was instantly dead. He had been shot in the neck.”

Authorities subsequently confirmed that the incident had developed into a barricade situation in the 1500 block of 15th Street NW. A suspect was believed to be inside a nearby apartment building, prompting the deployment of the department’s Emergency Response Team and heavily armed officers.

Police urged people to stay away from the area while the operation continued. Residents were told to enter the nearest building, keep away from windows and remain indoors until further notice.

“Please avoid the area as we work to resolve the incident. Updates will come through this platform” – DC Police Department on X

In a statement issued this morning, the MPD said: “MPD’s Emergency Response Team is on the scene. Please avoid the area as we work to resolve the incident.”

They added on X, “UPDATE: The incident has resulted in a barricade situation in the 1500 block of 15th Street, Northwest. MPD’s Emergency Response Team is on the scene. Please avoid the area as we work to resolve the incident. Updates will come through this platform.”

UPDATE: The incident has resulted in a barricade situation in the 1500 block of 15th Street, Northwest. MPD’s Emergency Response Team is on the scene. Please avoid the area as we work to resolve the incident. Updates will come through this platform.

— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) November 12, 2026

Local schools were also placed on lockdown, while roads surrounding the scene were closed to traffic. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI were among the federal agencies assisting the police response.

DC Councilmember Brooke Pinto confirmed that the shootings had taken place both at and outside the fitness centre. In a post on social media, she urged members of the public to avoid the neighbourhood while police searched for the suspect.

What is VIDA Fitness?

VIDA Fitness was founded by, and is owned by, David von Storch, who is publicly gay.

The company operates four locations in Washington DC, including its Logan Circle branch at 1517 15th Street NW, as well as two further gyms in Northern Virginia.

A manager at the Logan Circle facility told local broadcaster WJLA that the gym would close for the remainder of Thursday.

Von Storch told that he was aware of the incident but was unavailable for comment.