‘Multiple people’ shot in Washington, prompting ‘barricade situation’

Multiple people have been shot in northwest Washington on Thursday, local police have confirmed, prompting a “barricade situation” in the area.A spokesperson for the Washington DC police department told the Guardian in a brief phone call on Thursday that the scene was “still active”. No further details were immediately available.The DC police department said in a social media post at about 8.20am local time that officers were on the scene responding to an “active shooting in the area of 15th and P Street, Northwest”. The department’s emergency response team was also at the scene. The department urged the public to avoid the area.In a separate statement at 9.21am local time, the Washington police said that the incident has “resulted in a barricade situation in the 1500 block of 15th Street, Northwest”.READ MORE“Please avoid the area as we work to resolve the incident,” they added.Law enforcement officers near the scene of the shooting in Washington. Photograph: Ken Cedeno/AFP via Getty Images The Metropolitan police department has also issued a shelter-in-place order for those in the immediate vicinity of the 1500 block of 15th Street NW. They have urged residents to “go inside to the nearest building, stay away from windows and remain indoors until further notice”.Local council member Brooke Pinto also posted on social media that there had been a shooting “at and outside Vida fitness this morning in Logan Circle”.“Do not go to this area,” Pinto said. “Police looking for suspect.”A reporter for the Washington Sun said that they spoke with a witness who was in the gym and “heard one gunshot and saw one person down in the gym itself, followed by more shots”.The person told the reporter that the gym “cleared out” and that people were running from the scene with their “arms raised” as police yelled to clear out.Live broadcasts from the area show heavy police presence, dozens of police vehicles, and helicopters overhead.A Vida Fitness manager told ABC7News that shots were fired outside the business. The local news station reported that as of 9am local time on Thursday morning, the business was still under lockdown and there was a police inside the building.The manager said that they feel safe with police inside.Several schools in the area are on lockdown. – Guardian