A morning workout turned into a nightmare after a gunman opened fire at a popular gay-owned Washington, D.C. fitness center, leaving five people shot.
Going to the gym is supposed to be about getting those steps in, lifting some weights, and maybe catching up with familiar faces. But for members of VIDA Fitness in Washington, D.C., Thursday morning turned into something nobody could have prepared for.
NEW – 5 people shot in Vida gym, Washington D.C., a shelter in place order is active. Suspect has not been apprehended. https://t.co/vbYBQvE9cf
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) November 12, 2026
According to CBS News, a shooting at the popular gay-owned gym in the city’s Logan Circle neighborhood on November 12 left one person dead and four others injured. And as more details emerge, the incident has left gym members and the surrounding community trying to process what happened.
According to police, five people were shot during the attack. One victim died, another remains in critical condition, and three others sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
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One Dead, Four Injured in D.C. Shooting
The victim who lost his life was identified as 46-year-old James Stuart, a D.C. resident who worked as the building manager of the property where the gym is located.
Investigators believe Stuart was specifically targeted because of an ongoing dispute between the suspected gunman and the building’s homeowners association.
The other four victims, two men and two women, were transported to nearby hospitals. Their identities have not yet been publicly released.
Police identified the suspected shooter as 55-year-old Matthew Lambert, a physician who lived in an apartment above the gym and was reportedly a member of the facility.
What We Know About the Suspect
Lambert previously worked as an emergency room physician for around 20 years before transitioning into healthcare technology.
After the initial shooting, he reportedly retreated to his apartment and barricaded himself inside. Police negotiators spent approximately an hour speaking with him before he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities recovered three firearms from his apartment: a handgun, a rifle, and a shotgun.
Police believe the shooting was connected to Lambert’s long-running conflict with the building’s homeowners association. The disagreement reportedly involved water damage in his apartment and complaints about building management that he felt were not being addressed.
His attorney also revealed that Lambert had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal and engineering expenses related to the dispute.
Witnesses Recall the Horrifying Experience
And if you’re wondering what it was like inside the gym when everything unfolded, witnesses have described a terrifying scene.
Jennifer Christine, who was exercising on a treadmill when the shooting started, said she witnessed someone die inside the facility. She eventually managed to escape and find shelter in a nearby bagel shop.
Other witnesses recalled hearing loud bangs, seeing blood on the gym floor, and rushing outside as people scrambled to get away from the gunfire.
The incident prompted a massive police response, with several federal agencies, including the FBI and ATF, assisting local authorities. VIDA Fitness has since announced that its Logan Circle location will remain closed until further notice.
For a gym connected to the LGBTQ community, the tragedy is particularly unsettling. While investigators believe the attack stemmed from a personal dispute involving building management, the violence has nevertheless shaken a space where people came together for something as ordinary as their morning workout.