Shooting in DC's Logan Circle: What we know about the suspect

WASHINGTON - A suspect who police believe had a dispute with his building’s homeowners association opened fire in Washington, D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood Thursday, killing one person and wounding four others before apparently shooting himself during a standoff, authorities said.

Police have identified the shooter as 55-year-old Matt Lambert. The deceased victim has been identified as 46-year-old James Stuart of Northwest D.C., the building's manager.

What we know:

Lambert has since died, FOX 5 DC reported, according to police.

Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that investigators believe the shooting was directly related to a lawsuit and extended dispute between Lambert and the homeowners association.

According to police, Lambert targeted and shot Stuart inside the VIDA Fitness gym. Lambert then retreated to his seventh-story condo and began firing from his patio balcony. The four surviving victims – two men and two women – were on the ground level when they were shot from above.

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"That building is on the corner of 15th and Church Street, so some of the people were actually shot on Church Street," Carroll said. "[Another] person was shot kind of in the back alley area of the building and then a person on 15th Street."

The shootings began shortly before 8 a.m. in the 1500 block of 15th Street Northwest, about a mile north of the White House, police said.

Four other people were taken to hospitals, including one in critical condition. The other three had injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Carroll said. Police also shared that, of the four victims, two were adult males, two were adult females.

What do we know about the suspect?

Lambert was a physician in his 50s who lived in the neighborhood. Investigators believe he was a member of the gym and lived in the nearby building where he later barricaded himself.

Lambert was deeply upset with his condo building's management. Represented by attorney Joel Braithwaite, he filed a lawsuit in March 2025 against the condo building's homeowners association, alleging that he hadn't been able to use his penthouse since 2024 because of mold, moisture and water problems. He claimed the problems began after a contractor had worked on the building's exterior.

The litigation was ongoing, with mediation scheduled for next March, according to court filings. Lambert appeared to share his condo woes, including photos and an engineering report, on an X site titled OfMiceandMold.

Braithwaite spoke to reporters on Thursday evening, saying he was shocked and didn't expect the shooter to be Lambert, whom he knew as a doctor and a "humanitarian." Braithwaite said he learned of Lambert's involvement from a CNN email.

"When I first was reached out to, I thought he was a victim of gun violence," Braithwaite said.

According to Braithwaite, Lambert had presented on AI and medicine at a conference in Orlando, Florida, just two days prior and was set to start a new job on Monday.

"From all accounts, he was in high spirits," Braithwaite said, adding that Nov. 12 is also the anniversary of Lambert's mother's burial.

What we don't know:

Police have not yet determined whether Lambert had any relationship with the four other victims who were shot outside.

While investigators believe the shooting was tied to the lawsuit and extended dispute with the homeowners association, authorities have not said what specifically triggered the attack on Thursday – or whether the anniversary of his mother's burial played any role – especially after his attorney said Lambert appeared in "high spirits" days earlier.

Police also noted there appeared to be "some level of planning associated with this," given the weapons and gasoline found in his condo, though details about when and how Lambert obtained them have not been released.

What happened during the standoff?

The backstory:

Officers arrived within 30 seconds of being dispatched to a report of a shooting inside the gym, Carroll said. As they responded, additional calls reported gunfire and other victims.

While officers were clearing a nearby residential building, they heard gunshots on the seventh floor. Police determined the suspect had barricaded himself inside an apartment they believed was his.

Carroll said Lambert had three firearms with him in the condo – a handgun, a rifle and a shotgun – and used each of them.

"He did fire through the door at officers, at least on two occasions while he was barricaded inside," Carroll said.

Negotiators spoke with the suspect for more than an hour. During a phone conversation, they heard a gunshot and the suspect stopped responding, Carroll said.

Officers forced their way into the apartment and found him with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

What else are police investigating?

Police said Lambert broke the gas line in his apartment and started a fire inside the residential building, triggering alarms and sprinklers. Investigators also found gasoline inside the unit. The building's sprinkler system helped contain the fire, and Fire and EMS officials were able to quickly disconnect the building's gas, Carroll said.

At the time of the incident, police urged people to avoid the area and issued a wireless emergency alert during the response. Schools were temporarily placed on lockdown.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said the White House had been briefed.

What you can do:

Authorities asked anyone who witnessed the shootings or fled the area to contact police at 202-727-9099.

Mass ShootingsD.C. Crime