Logan Circle Tragedy: 50 Gather for Vigil After Gym Shooting
Community members in Ward 2 mourn the death of a property manager and four injured residents following a dispute over apartment damage.
By Lorenzo Patterson ·
Fifty residents gathered in the cold Thursday evening to honor the victims of a mass shooting that occurred earlier that day in Washington, D.C.'s Logan Circle neighborhood. The vigil took place following a violent incident inside a local gym that left one man dead and four others injured.
The shooting started around 8 a.m. inside Vida Fitness, located in the 1500 block of 15th Street, Northwest. The facility sits beneath the Metropole condominium building. Police identified the suspect as Dr. Matt Lambert, a 55-year-old resident of the building. According to investigators, Lambert targeted James Stuart, the 46-year-old property manager. Lambert and Stuart had engaged in a long-standing dispute regarding alleged mold, moisture, and water damage in Lambert's apartment.
Gerry Coates, who was inside the gym during the attack, heard a sudden, loud bang. He stated he knew immediately that it was a gunshot. Coates looked away from the stretching area and saw the gunman. Investigators said Lambert then returned to his seventh-floor condo above the gym. From his patio, he fired several rounds, striking four more people. One victim is in critical condition. The other three sustained injuries that are not life-threatening.
Officers arrived at the scene within 30 seconds of the initial call. Lambert barricaded himself inside his unit and fired at responding officers. He also started a fire inside the apartment. Police negotiators attempted to communicate with Lambert for more than an hour. After a gunshot was heard from inside the unit, tactical officers entered. They found Lambert dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police recovered three firearms from the apartment.
Ward 2 D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto addressed the community at the vigil. She noted that the Metropole building has been shut down, displacing its residents. Pinto said neighbors have opened their homes to displaced residents. She added that local businesses have been giving away free items. "We have neighbors who've opened up their homes to residents from the Metropole who have been displaced," Pinto said. Many displaced residents are currently staying with family, friends, or neighbors who offered rooms in their homes.
The gathering provided a space for the community to grieve and support those affected by the tragedy. Residents expressed unity in the face of the loss. The event highlighted the immediate response of the neighborhood to the closure of their building and the impact of the shooting on daily life in the area.
