Suspect reported dead after shooting at popular gay-owned D.C. gym kills one, wounds four

The suspect in a shooting that killed one person and injured four others at and around a gay-owned Washington, D.C., gym is dead, CBS News reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the incident. The report followed a standoff Thursday morning in an apartment above VIDA Fitness in Logan Circle, where police negotiators had spent more than an hour speaking with the suspect before officers entered and found him wounded.

At a news conference near the scene, Metropolitan Police Department interim Chief Jeffery Carroll confirmed that the person killed had been shot inside the gym. One surviving victim was in critical condition. Three others appeared to have injuries that were not life-threatening.

Carroll said the suspect had apparently shot himself, but did not confirm his death during the briefing. Officers were still clearing the apartment and building when he spoke.

The developments brought a fuller account of the violence that interrupted the morning at a fitness business with longstanding ties to Washington’s LGBTQ+ community. Police described multiple shooting locations, victims at a construction site across the street, and a suspect who fired through an apartment door at responding officers.

VIDA founder and owner David von Storch told The Advocate by text Thursday morning that he was aware of the situation but was unavailable for comment. The Advocate has also contacted the Metropolitan Police Department for comment.

In a statement to members, VIDA said its Logan Circle location would remain closed until further notice and asked members to avoid the gym and the surrounding area.

“The safety and well-being of our members, guests, and team are our highest priorities,” the statement said, urging anyone nearby to follow law enforcement instructions.

“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident,” the statement continued. “We understand that this news may be deeply concerning to our VIDA community.”

Related: Mass shooting at popular gay-owned VIDA Fitness in D.C. leaves one dead, suspect barricaded

A shooting inside the gym, then a standoff above it

The first call reported a shooting inside VIDA, Carroll said. Investigators were still determining the sequence of events and precisely where each victim had been struck.

“There is one person that was shot and deceased inside the gym,” he said.

Carroll said police were also investigating a report of someone shot in a lobby or alley area. Officers were interviewing witnesses and survivors at different hospitals, with some interviews delayed by medical treatment.

As officers cleared an apartment building in the 1500 block of 15th Street NW, gunfire erupted on the seventh floor. Police determined that the suspect had barricaded himself in an apartment they believed was his own, Carroll said. He fired through the door at officers on at least two occasions.

Negotiators made contact and spoke with him for more than an hour. Shortly before the news conference, they heard a gunshot, and he stopped communicating. Officers forced entry and found him wounded.

Police believed the suspect was a gym member and had been involved in a conflict with the building’s homeowners' association.

“The motivation, we don’t know,” Carroll said. “We’re two hours into the situation. We can’t say the exact motivation.”

Carroll also said investigators believed a fire had been set inside the building, activating alarms and sprinklers. The fire had been extinguished, but its circumstances remained under investigation.

Emergency alerts across Logan Circle

Earlier Thursday, police issued a critical alert warning of an active shooting near 15th and P streets NW. A 9:21 a.m. update announced that the incident had become a barricade situation.

Authorities directed people nearby to stay indoors and away from windows. Reporter Tristan Espinoza shared video of a large police response on X during the standoff and reported that heavily armed officers had taken positions around surrounding buildings.

Mayor Muriel Bowser thanked emergency responders and residents who had followed police instructions.

“We’re devastated,” Bowser said at the briefing. “Someone was killed in our city this morning, a senseless act of gun violence.”

Bowser said that she briefed the White House on the situation.

A business with longstanding LGBTQ+ ties

The Logan Circle gym, at 1517 15th St. NW, is one of four VIDA Fitness locations in the District, alongside City Vista, U Street, and the Yards. The chain also operates gyms in Ballston and Reston Station in Northern Virginia.

Von Storch has spoken about being gay and about the importance of making fitness spaces welcoming to LGBTQ+ people. In a 2016 interview with WTOP radio, he described a business approach shaped by the communities surrounding his facilities.

His businesses extend beyond the gym floor. Von Storch is the founder and CEO of Urban Adventures Companies, whose brands include VIDA, Bang Salon, Aura Spa, Penthouse Pool Club, SweatBox, and VIDA Pilates.

Carroll urged anyone who witnessed the shootings, including people who fled the area, to contact police at 202-727-9099.