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On the 12th, a shooting occurred at a gym inside an apartment complex in Washington, the capital of the United States, killing the building's manager and injuring four others. According to police, the suspect took his own life after committing the crime. The suspect was said to have been at odds with the management of the apartment complex over mold in his home.
Police say the gunman is believed to be Matt Wade Lambert, a doctor. James Stewart, 46, the apartment complex's manager, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The four injured were taken to a local hospital. One of them is said to be in critical condition.
The shooting occurred on the morning of the 12th local time at a gym in an apartment complex in the Logan Circle neighborhood, about 1 mile north of the White House.
After the shooting, the suspect barricaded himself inside an apartment complex and shot himself, police said. He later died from his injuries.
The suspect barricaded himself in an apartment complex and "fired at least twice through the door at officers," Metropolitan Police Department Acting Chief Jeffrey Carroll said at a news conference.
According to acting chief Carroll, negotiators were talking on the phone with a suspect who had barricaded himself in the area when they heard gunshots and lost contact with the suspect.
When officers entered the apartment, they found the suspect had "a wound that appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound," police said.
Carroll also added that police "believe a fire was started." The fire has already been brought under control.
Authorities are currently investigating to determine the specific circumstances leading up to the incident, the suspect's motive, and other details.
"We know that there was an ongoing conflict between the suspect in this case and the management of the building, apartment complex, and homeowners association over issues such as maintenance issues and mold," Carroll said. "The suspects had filed civil lawsuits against them, so we believe (this incident) is related to that."
Police believe Lambert opened fire inside the gym and then fired from the balcony of his seventh-floor home at four other people on the first floor.
It was not immediately clear whether the suspect had any relationship with the four men.
Authorities seized three firearms from Lambert's home. All of these were used in this day's incident.
"There appears to be some degree of premeditation in this incident," Carroll said.
There are no firearms registered in Lambert's name in Washington. Police said it is unclear how the suspect obtained the weapon.
Multiple containers containing flammable liquids were found in the suspect's home.
"We believe some level of combustion aid may have been used. We don't know if it was gasoline or something else," Carroll said. "We believe there is a high possibility that some kind of liquid was sprayed at the scene."
Jonathan Chapo, a BBC producer who lives in the building where the shooting occurred, said he heard the fire alarm and went out via the fire escape when he heard gunshots nearby.
"I saw smoke and flashes. We all started running at the same time. I just knew I had to do it."
"Everyone immediately ran out and hid in a small brick structure right next to the building."
He was then taken to a safe room within the building by the building's caretaker.
"Then everyone started screaming all at once," Chapo said.
Michael Carney told the Washington Sun that he was at a gym called Vida Fitness when the shooting started.
He heard a "pop" and at first thought it was an exercise ball exploding. They then found a man lying on the floor who had been shot.
"Everyone was just hiding in the shadows," Carney said.
Mr. Carney went outside the gym and heard five to 10 gunshots. It seemed like it was coming from a nearby alley.
Another witness told the Washington Sun that he was in the fitness center when he heard an "extremely loud noise" and heard more gunshots after taking shelter outside the gym.
"I thought something had hit me or fallen," the woman said. "I later realized it was a gunshot."
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser described the incident as "senseless gun violence" and said she had reported it to the White House.
According to the Washington Sun, Lambert had been in a bitter legal battle for more than a year with the Metropole Condominium Association and the building's property manager.
In December, the suspect told a reporter who wrote an article for the paper (he was working for another media outlet at the time) that renovations to the building had caused severe water leaks and black mold, making it impossible for him to live in his $1 million penthouse.
"It's affecting every aspect of my life, including sleeping and eating," the suspect said at the time. "I was confident in my resilience, but in some ways I'm surprised it's affected me so much."
(English article US doctor kills apartments manager after long-running dispute over mold, police say)
