Five shot near Washington gym as police respond to active scene

Five people were shot Thursday morning in Washington’s Logan Circle neighborhood, police said, as officers responded to an active scene near 15th and P streets NW. Authorities urged people to avoid the area and ordered those nearby to shelter in place.

The conditions of the five people were unknown, a law enforcement source told CBS News. Police had not confirmed the exact location of the shooting. A police spokesperson told The Guardian by phone that the scene was “still active” and said no further details were immediately available.

The Metropolitan Police Department said in a social media post shortly after 8:20 a.m. that officers were responding to an “active shooting in the area of 15th and P Street, Northwest”. Its emergency response team was also at the scene, according to The Guardian.

Councilmember Brooke Pinto said on social media that shootings had occurred “at and outside Vida fitness this morning in Logan Circle.” She warned residents: “Do not go to this area.” Pinto also said police were looking for a suspect.

CBS News reported that the suspect was barricaded in an apartment complex, citing police confirmation. A law enforcement source told CBS News the apartment was above the gym. Authorities had not released further details about the suspect in the information available Thursday morning.

A witness who was inside the gym told a Washington Sun reporter that they “heard one gunshot and saw one person down in the gym itself, followed by more shots,” according to The Guardian. The witness said the gym “cleared out” and people ran from the scene with their “arms raised” as police yelled for them to leave.

Police issued a shelter-in-place order for the immediate vicinity of the 1500 block of 15th Street NW. They told residents to “go inside to the nearest building, stay away from windows and remain indoors until further notice,” The Guardian reported.

Several streets were closed, and a large police response was visible in the area, according to CBS News. The outlet reported that a church and homes share the block with the gym, while a Whole Foods supermarket is around the corner. The area is about a mile north of the White House.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said its Washington office was assisting at the scene, CBS News reported. The FBI said its Washington field office was also helping the Metropolitan Police Department.

Police had not confirmed where each of the five people was shot or provided information about their injuries.