Community holds vigil for victims of mass shooting in DC’s Logan Circle
Community members hold vigil following mass shooting in DC's Logan Circle
A vigil was held Thursday night for the victims of a mass shooting in D.C.'s Logan Circle neighborhood. Police said the suspect in the shooting, Dr. Matt Lambert, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after allegedly targeting the manager of his building, James Stuart.
WASHINGTON - Around 50 community members gathered in Washington, D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood Thursday night to pay tribute to the victims of a morning mass shooting that left one man dead and four others injured.
What we know:
Attendees came together in the cold weather to grieve and support those affected by the tragedy.
Ward 2 D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto spoke about the neighborhood's response to the shooting, which displaced residents of the Metropole condominium building after it was shut down.
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"We have neighbors who've opened up their homes to residents from the Metropole who have been displaced," Pinto said. "We have businesses who have been giving away free items. We have had really everybody come together because this is terrible for the victims. It was terrible for everybody who is in Vida [Fitness], it's terrible for everybody who lives in Metropole and this entire community."
Many displaced residents are currently staying with family, friends or neighbors who offered rooms in their homes.
Timeline:
The shooting began around 8 a.m. Thursday inside Vida Fitness, located in the 1500 block of 15th Street, Northwest, beneath the condominium building.
According to police, the suspected gunman, 55-year-old Dr. Matt Lambert, targeted and fatally shot the building’s 46-year-old property manager, James Stuart. Police said Lambert had been involved in a longstanding dispute with Stuart and the condominium association over alleged mold, moisture and water damage inside his apartment.
Gerry Coates, who was inside the gym at the time, described hearing a sudden, loud bang.
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"I knew it was gunshot. There's no question about it," Coates said, adding that he looked to his left away from the stretching area and saw the gunman.
Investigators said Lambert then returned to his seventh-floor condo above the gym and fired several rounds from his patio, striking four more people. One of those victims is in critical condition, while the other three sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Officers arrived within 30 seconds of the initial call. Authorities said Lambert barricaded himself inside his unit, fired at responding officers, and started a fire inside the apartment.
After police negotiators attempted to communicate with him for more than an hour, officers heard a gunshot from inside. Tactical officers entered the unit and found Lambert dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police recovered three firearms from inside his apartment.
The Source: Information in this article is from D.C. police, original and past FOX 5 DC reporting and court documents.