Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Police say a gunman shot five people, killing one, at a Logan Circle gym in DC on Nov 12, then barricaded himself nearby and was found dead after a standoff.
A gunman opened fire inside a gym in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC, at about 8 a.m. on Thursday, November 12. Five people were shot, according to police accounts reported by Al Jazeera and WJLA. One of them died. Another was in critical condition on Thursday. These counts are as of Thursday and could still change.
The gym sits near 15th and P Streets NW, about a mile north of the White House. After the shooting, the gunman moved into an adjacent building. He barricaded himself in a seventh-floor room and fired at officers through the door. Negotiators kept him on the phone for about an hour while snipers watched from nearby rooftops. Police then heard a gunshot over the line. Officers breached the room and found him dead of a self-inflicted wound.
The Metropolitan Police Department led the response, with help from the FBI, the Secret Service and the ATF. Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said the attack appeared to stem from a conflict between the gunman and his building's homeowners association. Council member Brooke Pinto said he had been in a court dispute over his condominium. Police have not released a full motive. Mayor Muriel Bowser praised officers for their quick response. Thursday's attack adds the nation's capital to the list of mass shootings in 2026.
While the gunman was barricaded, police told people nearby to shelter in place. Schools in the area went into lockdown. A shelter-in-place order during police activity means get inside, lock the door and stay away from windows. Silence your phone and wait for police to give the all clear. When you walk into a gym, office or lobby, take two seconds to note the nearest exit. The first steps to survive an active shooter are to get out and move away from the sound of gunfire. If you cannot get out, lock or block a door and put solid walls between you and the threat.
Gunshot victims often need help before an ambulance can reach them. Knowing how to stop severe bleeding lets you act in those first minutes. A tourniquet fits in a gym bag or a glove box. Agree on an emergency meeting spot with your family, so everyone knows where to go if phones are jammed or streets are closed off.
Where it stands now: the gunman is dead, and investigators are still working through the motive. Sign up for your city's emergency text alerts today, so the next shelter-in-place order reaches you fast. Be Prepared Not Scared!
