Washington (United States) (AFP) – A disgruntled tenant shot dead his building manager and wounded four other people in an upscale neighborhood of Washington on Thursday before killing himself, police said amid a massive law enforcement response that shut down part of the city.
The shooting, which occurred about a mile north of the White House, sparked a massive police response in the nation’s capital, with dozens of law enforcement vehicles racing to the scene and police helicopters hovering overhead. Dramatic dispatch audio captured the initial callout for a shooting inside the gym just before 8 am (0100 GMT). Within minutes, a breathless police officer could be heard telling the dispatcher, “we have an active shooter” and requesting the SWAT team.
Jeffery Carroll, Washington’s interim police chief, told reporters that the gunman, identified as Matt Lambert, 55, had been involved in an ongoing dispute over maintenance with the condominium association for the building where he owned an apartment. Lambert, an emergency medicine physician, fatally shot the building manager, James Stuart, 46, in a packed gym attached to the complex, located in the Logan Circle neighborhood. Lambert then barricaded himself in his seventh-floor unit, Carroll said. He then opened fire from his balcony on people below, wounding four. One of the wounded was in critical condition while the others did not have life-threatening injuries. The Washington Post reported that construction workers from a nearby job site were among the injured, citing a company executive.
Lambert fired at least twice at police through his apartment door and set the unit on fire before shooting himself, Carroll said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Photos and video quickly emerged on social media of police in tactical gear surrounding the building with rifles drawn, as well as fire emerging from an exterior wall. Carroll said Lambert had taken legal action against the homeowners association of the condominium complex where he lived over what he considered to be a lack of maintenance of the building. An X feed reportedly linked to Lambert titled @OfMiceandMold is a litany of complaints about mold and water damage. The final post, described as a “manifesto,” is an engineering report detailing problems with his apartment.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser denounced what she described as a “senseless act of gun violence.” The shooting occurred during the busy morning rush hour, snarling traffic as police closed off streets around the area and evacuated residents. The Washington Sun quoted a member of the VIDA Fitness gym as saying that he was on a treadmill at the workout facility when the shooting began. Michael Carney said he heard a “pop” and then saw someone on the gym floor who had been shot in the head. “Everyone was kind of just hiding behind planters and stuff,” Carney told The Sun.
Late Thursday, church groups led Logan Circle neighbors in vigils and prayer near the site of the shooting. The local government has ruled the building uninhabitable from the fire damage, the Washington Post reported, and residents were asked to stay away. The Logan Circle neighborhood is one of the most expensive in Washington and is known for chic restaurants and nightlife spots. It also sits a short distance from a heavy concentration of foreign embassies.
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