OVERLAND PARK, KS -- The fitness club industry’s reaction to the LA Fitness shootings that took place Tuesday night in a Pittsburgh suburb came swiftly and succinctly. Industry leaders around the country are mourning the tragedy that resulted in the deaths of three women and a gunman—all of whom were LA Fitness members—as well as nine others who were wounded.

The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) said it has lent its support to the LA Fitness club in Bridgeville, PA.

“Our very deepest sympathy goes out to the families and friends of those whose lives were lost in yesterday’s shootings at the LA Fitness health club in Bridgeville, PA,” said Joe Moore, IHRSA president and CEO. “We pray for the full recovery of those who were wounded. And our thoughts and prayers remain with all who had to witness and have been affected by this cruel and senseless act of violence.”

Club companies and industry leaders echoed IHRSA’s sentiments.

• 24 Hour Fitness: “24 Hour Fitness is saddened to hear about the shooting incident at an LA Fitness gym in Bridgeville, PA, Tuesday evening. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their families, friends and LA Fitness club members.”
• Bally Total Fitness CEO Michael Sheehan: “The thoughts and prayers of the entire Bally Total Fitness team are with our LA Fitness colleagues and members. We recognize the difficulty of guarding against the unforeseen damages of yesterday’s tragedy involving the actions of a single troubled individual.”
• Mark Mastrov, founder of 24 Hour Fitness: “I was saddened to see this shooting take place within our industry. My prayers go out to the families involved and to the team at LA Fitness.”
• Life Time Fitness: “Our thoughts, sympathies and prayers go out to the individuals impacted by this tragedy and their families.”
• Planet Fitness: “Like everybody else, we’re stunned by this horrific act of violence. As we’ve seen over and over in mass shootings, it’s difficult to stop an individual who’s committed to carrying out an act like this.”
• Anytime Fitness President and Co-Founder Chuck Runyon: “We are saddened by the news, not because it happened within our industry but because tragic events like this seem to be happening more often in schools, places of work or public areas.”
• Snap Fitness: “We are aware of the tragedy that took place in Pittsburgh yesterday and send our deepest sympathies out to the victims and their families.”
• Lifestyle Family Fitness Founder Geoff Dyer: “A tragedy such as this is of great concern to us as business owners and for the club industry in general.”
• YMCA of the USA: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this tragedy in Pennsylvania and their families.”

For more on the shootings, go to Club Industry’s Fitness Business Pro’s blog.

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