USA, shooting in downtown Washington: at least one dead and four others injured

The deceased person had been 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. Residents of the area are asked to stay at home

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 also attended the scene and contacted the suspect, identified as "a white man wearing gray shorts and a sweatshirt". 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.

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 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.

Washington police have issued an emergency "seek shelter and do not leave" directive to all residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the shooting site. All public schools in the Washington area affected by the shooting are also on "alert". According to Evan Lambert, press secretary for the District of Columbia public schools, at least 13 schools have been alerted to the dangerous situation. As CNN reports, the state of alert means that "no one can enter or leave the campuses, but normal activities continue," Lambert said in a statement. All schools on alert are located in Logan Circle and the nearby neighborhoods of Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights.