USA, shooting in Washington: at least one victim and four injured. The attacker died

The deceased victim was shot from behind inside the Vida Fitness gym in the Logan Circle neighborhood, near the White House. The four wounded, hit outside the building while trying to escape, were instead transported to hospital: one is said to be in critical condition while the other three are not in danger of life. The attacker, after a brief escape, barricaded himself in an apartment and shot at the police before turning the weapon on himself

One of five people injured in a downtown Washington shooting has died. The media reported this, citing local police sources. The attacker, after barricading himself in an apartment and shooting at the police, then turned the gun on himself, taking his own life. The shooting occurred in a gym in Logan Circle, a fashionable neighborhood of the city a few steps from the White House. Following the shooting, the killer fled and found shelter in a nearby building. Negotiators who had contacted the suspect, identified as "a white man wearing gray shorts and a sweatshirt", also attended the scene. The four injured people were transported to hospital: one is said to be in critical condition while the other three are not in danger of life.

Suspect took his own life

According to initial reconstructions, the man entered the premises of the Vida Fitness gym, first hitting a man from behind, i.e. the victim who later died, and then exploding other shots outside while people ran away. The suspect's escape was short: the man moved to different areas of the neighborhood, intentionally setting fires in various points before barricading himself in a building. There he was joined by police negotiators who spoke with him for over an hour in an attempt to end the armed standoff. At a certain point the officers heard a gunshot and broke into the apartment: "They found the suspect with a gunshot wound," said Jeff Carroll, acting chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. The killer died shortly after in hospital.

Public schools on alert

During the shooting phase, the Washington police immediately issued an emergency directive to "seek shelter and do not go out" to all the inhabitants of the neighborhoods surrounding the area involved. The apartments above the gym where the shooting occurred have been evacuated. Witnesses said they initially thought it was a fire test until they heard the shots. All public schools in the area were also placed on "alert". According to Evan Lambert, press secretary for the District of Columbia public schools, at least 13 schools between Logan Circle and the nearby neighborhoods of Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights have been alerted to the dangerous situation. The state of alert, now concluded, means that "no one can enter or leave the campuses, but normal activities continue," Lambert said in a statement.