Dr. Matt Wade Lambert Shot Dead in D.C. Gym Dispute
A 55-year-old emergency room physician killed his building administrator and wounded four others after a fight over mold and unpaid repairs cost him more than $300,000.
By Elena Greco ·
More than $300,000 was spent by one man on apartment repairs and legal fees before he opened fire in a Washington, D.C. gym, killing the building’s administrator and wounding four people. The shooting occurred on the morning of Thursday, November 12, 2026.
Dr. Matt Wade Lambert, 55, was the shooter. He killed James Stuart, 46, inside VIDA Fitness in the Logan Circle neighborhood. Police received the first calls just before 8 a.m. Lambert then returned to his seventh-floor apartment and fired from the balcony, injuring four people on the street level. Interim Metropolitan Police Department Chief Jeff Carroll stated the entire sequence of attacks took place in less than five minutes.
Carroll said the shooting was linked to a long-standing dispute between Lambert and the building’s management over maintenance issues, specifically mold. Lambert had filed a civil lawsuit against the condominium association and the property manager. “We know that there has been a dispute between the suspect in this case and the building management.. for maintenance issues, mold and other similar issues,” Carroll said. “We also know that he filed a civil case against them.”
Stuart was not just the administrator; he was a key witness in Lambert’s civil case. Stuart also helped communicate information to the board of directors for the homeowners' association. Lambert’s attorney, Joel Braithwaite, confirmed that his client had spent thousands of dollars on mold removal but felt the association had not taken responsibility for the property's problems.
According to property records, Lambert purchased the apartment for over $1 million in 2016. Braithwaite said his client considered the condo his most prized possession. After reporting mold and water leaks, Lambert moved to a home he owned in West Virginia. He had started a new job in an emergency room on Monday, the day before the shooting.
Police recovered three firearms from the apartment: a pistol used inside the gym, a rifle used from the balcony, and a shotgun used at the end of the incident. Carroll noted that Lambert had no registered firearms in D.C. and it remains unknown how he obtained them. Agents found Lambert dead inside the apartment with a self-inflicted gunshot wound after breaching the door.
Posts on an X account linked to Lambert dated back to October 2025, detailing complaints about mold, rodents, and water damage. The final post was made approximately at the time of the shooting. Braithwaite spoke with his client 24 to 48 hours prior, describing him as in a very good mood. “In the end, these matters should have been resolved in the courts,” Braithwaite said.
