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Gunman shoots five people, killing one, about a mile from the White House before shooting himself
Developing
- What happened
- A gunman shot five people, killing one, in Washington’s Logan Circle neighbourhood on Thursday morning, then barricaded himself in a flat and shot himself.
- Why it matters
- It happened in the rush hour about a mile from the White House, in a city where President Trump has made crime a central issue.
- What’s next
- The Guardian reports the suspect has died and one of the wounded is in a critical condition; police have not named a motive.
How this story developed
- 17:19First report
- 17:232nd source
- 17:23Confirmed
- 19:013rd source
- 21:314th source
- 17:19First reportAl Jazeera English
- 17:232nd sourceSouth China Morning Post
- 17:23ConfirmedWas: Single source
- 19:013rd sourceFrance 24
- 21:31Latest4th sourceThe Guardian World
Full story
What happened
Five people were shot, one of them fatally, in the centre of Washington, DC on Thursday morning. Police said the shooting was reported at 8.23am near Logan Circle, around the junction of 15th Street NW and P Street, about a mile (1.6km) north of the White House, during the morning commute.
According to a law enforcement official quoted by the Associated Press and carried by France 24, investigators believe the gunman shot at least one person inside a gym, went outside and fired again, shot another person in a parking garage lift, and then barricaded himself on the seventh floor of a nearby apartment building.
Interim police chief Jeffery Carroll said officers were negotiating with the suspect, a white man, by phone when they heard gunshots. When they entered the room they found he had shot himself, Al Jazeera reported. The Guardian later reported that the suspect had died and that one of the injured was in a critical condition.
Inside the gym
James Spellman was at the gym shortly after 8am, with about 50 other people, when he heard shots. He said he heard about two shots inside and five or six more outside as members ran out.
“Within seconds there was a man who fell to the ground, and a pool of blood came out. One gym member rushed to help him. He was instantly dead.”
James Spellman, witness, France 24
Police ordered people in the area to shelter in place, telling them to go into the nearest building and stay away from windows. Schools nearby were locked down and much of the block was cordoned off. Local police, the FBI and the Secret Service all took part in the operation, Al Jazeera’s correspondent at the scene said.
The background
No official motive has been given. France 24 reported that the suspect is believed to have been in a dispute with the homeowners’ association of the building.
The shooting comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has made crime in the capital a key issue of his second term. Al Jazeera recalled that Trump deployed the National Guard across the city after a former government official said he had been assaulted there in August 2025.