Key takeaways:
- Building manager James Stuart, 46, was killed, and four others were wounded; one was in critical condition.
- Police identified the gunman as Dr. Matt Lambert, 55, who was found dead in his condo from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
- Lambert had an ongoing lawsuit against the condo association and property manager over alleged mold and water damage; the defendants denied his allegations.
A doctor embroiled in a dispute over water damage and mold in his Washington condominium opened fire at the building’s gym Thursday morning, killing the building manager and wounding four others before shooting himself, police said.
The gunfire began just after 8 a.m. at the VIDA fitness center on the ground floor of the Metropole in the Logan Circle neighborhood. Police identified the man killed as James Stuart, 46, who managed the building. Three of the injured had non-life-threatening wounds, while a fourth was in critical condition, interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said.
Police identified the gunman as Dr. Matt Lambert, 55, a resident of the seven-story building. After the gym shooting, Lambert fired from his apartment balcony, striking four people at ground level, and shot into the hallway through his door, officials said. Police found him dead in his condo from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“We do know that there has been an ongoing dispute between the suspect in this case and the building, condo, homeowners association management regarding maintenance issues, mold and the like,” Carroll told reporters. “So we believe that it’s related to that.”
Lambert had sued the Metropole Condominium Association and property manager EJF Real Estate Services over alleged water intrusion and mold in his penthouse. In the lawsuit, he said work on the building’s exterior had led to recurring leaks and that the defendants failed to correct the problems despite inspections and evidence of mold. The defendants denied the allegations and said others were responsible for any damage. The litigation was ongoing.
NBC News reported that the condo association also filed a complaint naming other parties, including the company that operates the gym. It alleged that the gym’s dryers and a failing exhaust system likely contributed to elevated moisture levels in Lambert’s unit. A lawyer for VIDA did not immediately respond to NBC’s request for comment.
Stuart was a “central fact witness” in Lambert’s case, Lambert’s lawyer, Joel Braithwaite, told reporters. Braithwaite said he had spoken with Lambert on Tuesday and that his client seemed to be in a good place as the case continued.
Lambert had also aired his complaints on an X account called “OfMiceandMold.” CBS News reported that he posted what he called an engineering report before the shooting, writing, “My manifesto is an engineering report.” In an April post, he wrote: “If you’re looking for the building manager, I would check the gym.” In October, CBS reported, he invoked Luigi Mangione, who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2024, while accusing the homeowners association of “delay, deny, defend” tactics.
Witnesses described panic inside the gym. One woman told CBS News she had to pass the scene of the killing to escape. “It was like chaos. It was horrific, honestly,” she said.
Police recovered a handgun, rifle and shotgun from Lambert’s apartment. Carroll said investigators believed he used all three weapons and that “there was some level of planning associated” with the attack.
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