Police identify suspect and victim in Washington DC gym shooting that also injured four

Four people were injured and one person died after a shooting in Northwest Washington DC on Thursday morning, local police said.

In a Thursday afternoon press conference, law enforcement identified the suspect as 55-year-old Matt Wade Lambert, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Law enforcement identified the victim as 46-year-old James Stuart, the building manager for the Vida Fitness gym in Lambert’s building, where he allegedly fired his handgun. After leaving the gym, Lambert continued firing from his apartment patio, law enforcement said.

Two men and two women were injured in the shooting and were transported to the hospital, law enforcement said. Among those who were transported, one is “determined to be in critical condition” and the others have non-life-threatening injuries.

Earlier Thursday, the police said that the shooter had a “conflict between him and the homeowners association of that building”. Court records show that Lambert had been involved in a civil dispute with the association since March 2025, alleging that his unit had mold, moisture issues and water damage after repairs to the building’s facade. The association denied allegations of negligence in court filings, and the litigation remained ongoing.

Joel Braithwaite, the attorney representing the suspected shooter in the matter, said in a news conference that he heard about the shooting after being contacted by CNN, and initially thought his client was the victim. He added that the last time he spoke to Lambert on Tuesday, he sounded fine and was looking forward to starting a new job this coming Monday.

He had never heard his client mention owning a gun, he said.

“I can’t tell you how surprised I am because the person I knew as a client is someone who is in the business of healing people,” Braithwaite told reporters.

He added that his client had spent at least $300,000 on litigation so far, and was likely going to spend more as proceedings continued. And while the exposure to mold, and the ongoing dispute with the homeowners association were stressful, they shouldn’t have led to violence.

“I don’t know how all of those things coalesce, but unfortunately this is a choice I hope my clients or anyone in litigation would [never] make,” Braithwaite continued. “Litigation is supposed to prevent these results by having people litigate in court and not have that spill out into the streets.”

Jeffery Carroll, the interim chief of police for the Metropolitan police department (MPD), told reporters earlier Thursday that the department received a report of a shooting just before 8am ET at the 1500 block of 15th Street inside of a gym. He said officers were dispatched to the area and were on the scene within 30 seconds.

“When officers got on the scene, they began canvassing, attempting to locate the suspect in this case,” Carroll said. “While they were on the scene, they were able to begin to clear the building where the shootings occurred.”

While clearing an apartment building on the block, Carroll noted that “gunshots rang out on the seventh floor”. The emergency response team “responded to the scene as well as additional resources from many federal partners”. Lambert was found to have three firearms, he said.

Lambert also broke a gas line in the apartment and started a fire, law enforcement said.

Carroll said emergency response team negotiators contacted Lambert and spoke with him for at least an hour before hearing another gunshot ring out. “As a response to that, officers forced entry into the apartment,” Carroll said, finding Lambert suffering from a gunshot wound.

Brooke Pinto, a DC council member, later confirmed that the suspect had “shot himself” and was “now dead”.

Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington DC, called the shooting a “senseless act of gun violence” at the news conference and confirmed that the White House had been briefed.

Janeese Lewis George, the city’s mayor-elect, called the shooting “horrifying” and offered her “sincere condolences to all the victims, their families, and DC residents living through this fear”.

VIDA Fitness DC confirmed in a statement on social media that its Logan Circle location was “temporarily closed” following the shooting and that it will remain closed until further notice.

In a joint statement emailed to the branch’s members, Vida Fitness’s owner David von Storch and its president, Aaron Moore, said they were “devastated by the tragic loss of life” and that while there is no active threat to the gym at this time, it’s unclear when gym members will be able to retrieve the items they left behind while evacuating.

“We know that today’s events have been frightening and deeply unsettling, particularly for those who were present … Our hearts are with everyone affected by this tragedy,” the pair wrote.

A witness to the shooting, 23-year-old Anthony Mirones, said he had gone to VIDA Fitness in the morning and was on the treadmill when he heard the first loud “bang” at about 8am and saw a man lying dead on the floor with blood nearby.

“Everyone’s confused. I’m confused,” Mirones said. “Did the painting fall?”

He went toward the noise and saw someone on the ground. A person standing closer to the body looked back and told him the man was dead.

“So I come a little closer and I see a body on floor, some blood,” Mirones said. “I’m thinking about the loud bangs. I’m like, ‘Gunshot.’”

Outside, at the entrance, police officers rushed in. “One police officer unholsters his gun, and then another police officer is asking for a description of the assailant,” Mirones said. “While [another witness] is describing the assailant, we hear five or so gunshots, and then we just all scatter and run.”