Doctor Matt Lambert Allegedly Shot Manager and Four Others in DC

A long-running dispute over apartment maintenance turned fatal Thursday morning when a man shot and killed a building manager before wounding four others and taking his own life.

The violence erupted around 8 a.m. in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., a busy area located roughly a mile north of the White House.

Matt Lambert, a 55-year-old doctor, allegedly shot James Stuart, the 46-year-old building manager at the VIDA fitness center, before firing from his seventh-floor penthouse patio. Lambert then fatally shot himself while in communication with police negotiators, according to interim Metropolitan Police Department Chief Jeffery Carroll.

“This whole incident took place in less than five minutes,” Carroll said. “I can only imagine being in that area and hearing the gunshots or being inside the gym.”

DC shooting latest: 2 dead including suspect Matt Lambert — FOX 5 Washington DC

The shootings terrified the community, prompting immediate lockdowns at local schools and the cordoning off of 15th Street Northwest near a Whole Foods and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Law enforcement SWAT teams arrived on the scene with weapons drawn, positioned on rooftops and at street level as the situation unfolded.

Chaos at the VIDA gym

The initial gunfire occurred inside the VIDA fitness center on the ground floor of the building. Witnesses described a scene of immediate terror as the shooting began.

“Within seconds there was a man who fell to the ground, and a pool of blood came out,” said James Spellman, who was present at the gym during the attack. “One gym member rushed to help him. He was instantly dead. He had been shot in the neck.”

What we Know About DC Gym Shooter Dr. Matt Lambert — an ER Doc Who Battled HOA Over Moldy Apartment — New York Post

Anthony Mirones, who was in the gym’s cardio area, reported hearing a loud bang that he initially mistook for an object falling from a wall. He said that as people attempted to assist the wounded manager, a fire alarm triggered a mass exodus of gym members. “The people in cardio had to step over the body,” Mirones said.

While the gym was under siege, Lambert reportedly used his penthouse patio to target others. He was armed with three guns and shot four additional people. Three of those victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while a fourth remained in critical condition as of Thursday afternoon.

What happened at the VIDA shooting? Police say a doctor shot at people before barricading himself — WUSA9

A dispute over mold and maintenance

Authorities believe the violence was rooted in a bitter, years-long legal battle between Lambert and the building’s management. Court records indicate that Lambert had been involved in rancorous litigation regarding moisture and mold issues in his unit.

Lambert had filed a lawsuit alleging that he had been unable to enjoy his penthouse since 2024 due to water damage and mold, which he claimed began following work performed by a contractor on the building’s exterior. He had documented these grievances on an X site titled OfMiceandMold, where he shared photos and an engineering report that he described online as “my manifesto.”

D.C. gunman identified as Matt Lambert — WPLG Local 10

Lambert’s lawyer, Joel Braithwaite, said his client was “deeply shaken and saddened” by the violence. Braithwaite described the condition of the condo as resembling a “war zone” and said that Lambert had spent more than $300,000 attempting to resolve the issues through the legal system.

“I don’t think there’s any sense to be made,” Braithwaite said of the shootings. “I can’t give you that closure.”

The penthouse had been Lambert’s residence since 2017. Online property records show he purchased the unit in September 2016 for nearly $1.1 million.

The perpetrator may have had a specific target in mind. A reporter for the Washington Sun, Michael Brice-Saddler, had interviewed Lambert last year regarding the condo problems. At that time, Lambert reportedly told another resident that he was aware of the building manager’s schedule, stating, “If you want to see the building manager, he comes in the gym about 8 o’clock.”

During the standoff, Lambert also reportedly cut a natural gas line to his fireplace and started a fire. The resulting flames triggered the building’s sprinkler system, which contained the fire, according to Chief Carroll.

Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed her condolences following the incident, stating she was “devastated” by the loss of life in what she characterized as a “senseless act of gun violence.”

The investigation into the exact sequence of events and the full extent of the legal disputes remains ongoing.

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