Friends remember 'giving' D.C. property manager killed in mass shooting at VIDA Fitness
Logan Circle Shooting Makeshift Memorial
WASHINGTON - Friends, neighbors and gym members are mourning a longtime D.C. property manager who was killed during Thursday's mass shooting at VIDA Fitness, an attack that also left six people wounded and displaced residents from their condominium building.
Remembering James Stuart:
On Friday, community members stopped by a growing memorial to pay their respects to James Stuart, who went to VIDA Fitness for his daily workout before heading into work on Nov. 12 and never made it out alive.
Friend Andrei Smith described Stuart as a fixture along the 14th Street corridor and across D.C.'s property management community who was always willing to open his doors to others.
"He was bold. He was brave. He was definitely sassy. But most of all, he was just a very giving person, like the type to give you anything you would need," Smith told FOX 5's Julie Donaldson. "He was constantly having people over at his apartment, staying the night, sleeping on the couch, you know, putting people up for a month at a time. So, just a very giving person."
Smith said the loss is hitting the neighborhood hard and that most people in Stuart's inner circle are still grieving at home and not yet ready to speak publicly.
VIDA Fitness CEO and founder David von Storch said he received messages from members sharing memories of Stuart, who had belonged to the club for 15 years.
"James was a 15-year member of the club loved by a lot of people, and this makes the tragedy more heartbreaking," von Storch said.
Jim Greenlow, a resident at The Metropole where Stuart worked, remembered him as a "decent man" who was always quick to step in when someone needed help.
"He was very helpful, very responsive. If you needed any assistance, you know, he would respond quickly," Greenlow said. "It’s very, very challenging. It’s difficult for me to process the fact that this happened to him."
What we know:
Stuart served as the property manager at The Metropole, the condominium building where the gunman, Dr. Matt Lambert, lived.
Stuart had been named in a lawsuit Lambert filed against the condominium association over a long list of complaints regarding conditions inside his million-dollar unit, including water damage and mold. Lambert had also aired those complaints publicly on his X account.
Residents said they were aware of Lambert's ongoing dispute with the building, though Greenlow said nothing could have prepared neighbors for the violence. Greenlow described Lambert as a "kind, articulate, intelligent individual" and a "good neighbor," saying he was shocked by the shooting and believed Lambert "snapped."
Six people were wounded in the shooting before Lambert died by suicide.
In addition to the gunfire, Lambert started a fire inside the building that set off the sprinkler system, causing widespread water damage that has left residents searching for places to stay. Greenlow said he is currently staying in a hotel and hopes to retrieve more of his belongings soon while crews assess the damage and determine how long residents will be displaced.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not publicly released the identities or medical conditions of the six people who were wounded in the shooting.
Officials also have not announced a timeline for how long residents of The Metropole will be out of their homes or when the damaged areas of the building will reopen.
The Source: This article was written using information from the Metropolitan Police Department and FOX 5 DC reporting by Julie Donaldson.