One dead, four hurt as gunman opens fire in neighborhood near White House

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - WASHINGTON — Five people were shot, one of them fatally, on Thursday in a trendy Washington neighborhood within walking distance of the White House, prompting a widespread law enforcement response in the area, police said.

The suspected gunman later shot and killed himself as a swarm of officers responded to a nearby apartment building where he was barricaded.

One victim died in the initial shooting, said Jeffrey Carroll, interim chief with the Metropolitan Police Department.

Carroll said the suspect then shot himself while barricaded inside an apartment. He added that the man apparently had a dispute with the building’s homeowners association.

The suspect’s death was confirmed by a law enforcement official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation into what happened and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

The shootings were reported in Logan Circle, about a mile north of the White House. Much of the block on 15th Street was cordoned off as police urged people to avoid the area, which includes a VIDA fitness center, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, residences and a Whole Foods supermarket. Schools were on lockdown.

Law enforcement SWAT teams and other officers had their guns drawn on the roof of an apartment building or on the ground below.

Authorities believe the suspect shot at least one person inside the gym before going outside and firing again, according to another law enforcement official who was not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

Law enforcement agents believe the suspect shot another person in a parking garage elevator before barricading himself on the seventh floor of the building, the official said.

Witness James Spellman, who was at the gym, said there were about 50 people there around 8 a.m. when the shooting began.