Who was Matt Lambert? Washington DC gym shooting suspect identified as 55-year-old doctor engaged in lengthy legal dispute with his building's management

The authorities have identified a 55-year-old doctor as the suspect in a shooting at a Washington, DC, gym that left one person dead and several others injured. The incident occurred in the Logan Circle area, which is walking distance from the White House, and triggered a rapid law enforcement response. The shooter, Dr. Matt Wade Lambert, was found dead inside his condo at the Metropole, a seven-story luxury building, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said, according to NBC News.

4 people injured in the attack

The shooting occurred just after 8 am at the VIDA fitness center, located on the street level at the Metropole. As a fire alarm went off, panicked patrons rushed outside, with some fleeing to a nearby bagel shop for shelter.


Lambert had gone to the gym to target a specific person, leaving others there unharmed. Later, he shot four people who were on ground level from his apartment balcony, law enforcement officials told NBC News.

He also fired shots into the hallway through the door before taking his own life, according to officials. Two of those injured were men and two women. They were taken to the hospital after being shot.

James Stuart, a 46-year-old building manager, was killed in the shooting, Jeffery Carroll, interim chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, said.

Lambert's lengthy legal feud

Lambert had been engaged in a lengthy legal dispute with the Metropole Condo Association and EJF Real Estate Services, the building's property manager.

In a complaint filed in March last year, Lambert had alleged water damage to his seventh-floor unit which he said costed him hundreds of thousands of dollars.

His lawsuit alleged negligence and breach of fiduciary duty, with Lambert seeking compensation for damages and related costs, such as for inspection, testing, relocation, and storage.

The case was ongoing and a remote mediation session was scheduled for March, as per court documents cited by NBC News. The defendants denied the allegations in their response to Lambert’s complaint.

Metropolitan police said three weapons had been recovered from Lambert’s apartment: a handgun, a rifle, and a shotgun. It was not clear how he obtained those weapons.

Lambert’s attorney speaks up

Lambert’s lawyer in the case, Joel Braithwaite, said on Thursday that the two had spoken earlier in the week and that his client seemed to be in a good place.

"I can’t tell you how surprised I am because the person I knew as a client is someone who is in the business of healing people," Braithwaite told reporters, according to The Guardian.