One person was killed and multiple others wounded on Thursday in an active shooting in Washington, DC, with the shooter barricaded inside a building and personnel in tactical gear arriving on scene, according to local media.

The police said the shooter was not yet in custody.

DC Council member Brooke Pinto said in a post on X that the shooting took place “at and outside” a VIDA fitness club and that multiple people had been shot.

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.

The incident was unfolding in the Logan Circle neighbourhood, about 1.6 kilometres northeast of the White House. Officers with rifles could be seen positioned atop buildings nearby, while dozens of police vehicles shut down the area.

The Washington Post quoted police as saying that at least five people had been injured.

Multiple law enforcement agencies could be seen at the scene of the shooting and police helicopters were hovering over the area.

Some residents were being evacuated from the area by police, while others were being urged to shelter in place. Some gathered on a nearby rooftop to watch the police response.