A terrifying active-shooter emergency erupted Thursday morning at a gym in the heart of Washington, D.C. — less than a mile from the White House.
Police rushed to the area of 15th and P Streets NW after gunfire was reported near VIDA Fitness in Logan Circle.
At least five people were shot, according to The Washington Sun.
The suspect then barricaded nearby as heavily armed officers converged on the area.
The local outlet reported that the attack unfolded during the morning rush in the busy Logan Circle neighborhood. Police sealed off the block, established a large perimeter and warned residents and commuters to stay away while tactical teams moved into position, with the developing emergency disrupting nearby streets and putting surrounding schools on lockdown.
The incident began near VIDA Fitness, a gym located among apartments, a church and businesses in the 1500 block of 15th Street NW. The White House sits roughly one mile to the south, making the scale and location of the emergency especially alarming.
Early reports did not establish a motive or explain whether the victims were targeted. With the suspect still barricaded, officials kept the scene active and continued urging the public to avoid the neighborhood.
MPD’s first alert told the public to avoid the area and confirmed that its Emergency Response Team was on scene.
The department soon issued a second update: the active-shooting response had turned into a barricade situation in the 1500 block of 15th Street NW.
The location put the violence alarmingly close to the center of the federal government.
Logan Circle sits roughly one mile north of the White House. The block includes the VIDA gym, residences and nearby businesses.
The response quickly expanded beyond local police.
ATF Washington said its agents were on scene assisting with the active-shooting investigation and directed the public to MPD for further updates.
Schools in the surrounding area were placed on lockdown while streets were sealed off and law enforcement worked to contain the threat.
Authorities had not publicly identified the suspect or announced a motive as of this report.
This remains a developing story. WLTR will update the report as verified information becomes available.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.
The post DEVELOPING: Active Shooter Opens Fire at D.C. Gym Near the White House appeared first on 100PercentFedUp.com.
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