Two Die in VIDA Fitness Shooting, Police Say, After Building Maintenance Dispute

Two people died and four others were injured during a shooting rampage in Northwest Washington, D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood on Thursday morning, according to local law enforcement.

The suspect, identified by police as 55-year-old Matt Wade Lambert, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after barricading himself in a nearby apartment building following the attack.

Metropolitan Police Department Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll told reporters that the initial call for help came in just before 8 a.m. from people inside the VIDA Fitness gym located in the 1500 block of 15th Street. Officers and emergency responders arrived on the scene within 30 seconds.

According to law enforcement, Lambert opened fire inside the gym, killing 46-year-old James Stuart, who worked as the building manager for VIDA Fitness in Lambert’s building. Carroll said that the gunman shot one person inside the gym and injured another person in the lobby or alley area of the building, while three additional victims were shot across the street at a construction site.

Four people in total were injured and transported to the hospital. Police reported that one of the hospitalized survivors was in critical condition while the other three sustained non-life-threatening injuries. After leaving the gym area, Lambert continued firing from his apartment patio and subsequently entered a nearby apartment building where he barricaded himself.

Police attempted to negotiate a safe surrender for about an hour before hearing a gunshot from the seventh floor while officers engaged with the suspect. A police spokeswoman later confirmed that Lambert died from the self-inflicted gunshot.

Lambert Sues Condominium Association over Water Damage

Investigators and court records revealed that Lambert, a doctor who purchased his penthouse unit for over $1 million in 2016, had been involved in an ongoing civil dispute with his condominium association since March 2025.

In a lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and later amended in July, Lambert alleged that façade remediation work in 2024 caused recurring water intrusion, mold, moisture issues, and damage exceeding $300,000 to his seventh-floor home. The homeowners association denied allegations of negligence in court filings, and the litigation remained active.

Joel Braithwaite, the attorney representing Lambert in the property litigation, stated in a news conference that gym manager James Stuart was a central fact witness and provided key information to the housing board. Carroll told reporters that authorities believe the attack was related to the maintenance grievances and civil case.

Police reported recovering a handgun, a rifle, and a shotgun from Lambert’s condominium, noting that the suspect used each of those firearms during the incident and that authorities believe there was a level of planning involved. Carroll added that Lambert did not have firearms registered to him in Washington, D.C..

Emergency shelter-in-place orders issued via text message to area residents were lifted at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Thursday. Police continue to investigate the shooting.

“devastated by the tragic loss of life,” Vida Fitness's owner David von Storch and its president, Aaron Moore, said in a joint statement emailed to the branch's members.

Earlier coverage: VIDA Fitness Shooting Kills Manager and Wounds Four, Police Say

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