At least one person was killed, and four others were wounded in a shooting near Logan Circle in northwest Washington, DC, local police announced on Thursday.
One of the wounded victims is in critical condition, local police announced, while the other three have non-life threatening injuries.
"MPD is on the scene of an ACTIVE SHOOTING in the area of 15th and P Street, Northwest. MPD’s Emergency Response Team is on scene. AVOID The AREA," the Metropolitan Police Department said on X/Twitter.
DC Council member Brooke Pinto said in a post on X that the shooting took place at the VIDA fitness club and that multiple people had been shot.
Police are on scene and urged the public to avoid the area, saying that the shooting had resulted in the shooter barricading himself in a nearby apartment building.
In a press briefing following the shooting, DC police stated that negotiators had made contact with the suspect, a white man. Shortly before the briefing, police heard a gunshot, and located the suspect suffering from a gunshot wound, appearing to have shot himself.
The police spokesperson also stated that the suspect had fired several times through the barricaded apartment door at police officers.
The police emphasized that they were early in the investigation, and that the motivation for the shooting was still unknown.
Schools near the site were initially placed on lockdown, and two sources told CNN that shelter-in-place orders had been put in effect in the area. Later, the press secretary of the District of Columbia Public Schools told CNN that local schools had instead been placed on "alert status."
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said that she and the city were "devastated" by the shooting, and that the White House had been briefed on the incident.
The location of the shooting is approximately one mile from the White House.
The Washington Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also announced that it was on the scene.
One person who described himself as having witnessed the incident told Reuters that he heard gunshots and saw one man run to another man who had apparently been struck by a bullet.
"Blood was pouring immediately, and he said, 'He's dead,'" the witness said. "We didn't know if the gunman was still on the premises, so we just ran frantically."
He said he heard more gunshots after running away from the gym.
Police helicopters circle above blocked-off streets after shooting
CNN reported that police helicopters circled above the neighborhood following the shooting, and that streets had been blocked off for several blocks around the site.
Officers with rifles could be seen positioned on buildings nearby, with dozens of police vehicles in the area.
Reuters contributed to this report.