Washington DC shooting: Five shot near White House, 1 killed; police are looking for suspects | Today’s news
At least five people were shot in Washington, DC’s Logan Circle neighborhood early Thursday morning, with one victim dying after being shot at a gym, the Associated Press reported, citing police and eyewitnesses.
The shooting prompted a massive law enforcement response in the neighborhood, which is about a mile north of the White House. According to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, a suspect was barricaded near the first shooting.
SWAT teams responded to a high floor of a nearby apartment building as authorities moved in to secure the area, the news outlet said.
Police urged residents and visitors to avoid the 1500 block of 15th Street, where several locations were closed, including VIDA Fitness Center, St. Lukáš and residential buildings. Nearby schools were also locked down, the AP reported.
A witness describes a fatal shooting at a Washington DC gym
James Spellman, who was in the gym shortly after 8 a.m., said about 50 people were inside when he heard the shots.
“Within seconds there was a man who fell to the ground and a pool of blood came out,” the news outlet quoted Spellman as saying.
He said another member of the gym rushed to the aid of the victim, who was shot in the neck and died almost immediately.
Spellman and other members of the gym subsequently fled the premises. He said he heard approximately two gunshots inside the gym, followed by five or six gunshots outside in the area.
Another witness, Ryan Dubicki, said he was in his nearby apartment around 8 a.m. when he heard about five loud bangs.
Dubicki initially mistook the sounds for construction work and said he looked outside a short time later to see police officers throughout the neighborhood.
The management of his apartment building subsequently issued an alert warning residents of a possible active shooter.
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FBI, ATF join investigation as police cordon off area
The shooting prompted a large police response and several streets around Logan Circle were blocked off.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said it had dispatched agents to assist authorities at the scene.
The FBI in Washington was also helping local police with the investigation, the AP reported.
Police continued their operation around the scene of the original shooting as SWAT teams responded to a reported barricaded suspect.
Authorities have not yet released further details about the circumstances surrounding Thursday’s shootings, including the identities and conditions of any victims.
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