Two dead after Thursday night lightning strike near White House

Source: Washington Post

Two of those hospitalized with life-threatening injuries Thursday evening after an apparent lightning strike in Lafayette Square, just north of the White House, have died, a D.C. police spokesman said Friday.

Four people — two men and two women — were critically hurt in the strike just before 7 p.m. in the center of the park, in a grove of trees about 100 feet southeast of the statue of Andrew Jackson, fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo said at a news briefing Thursday night. The U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Park Police rendered aid to the victims, which fire officials credited to the ability of the victims to initially survive.

Police identified those who died as Donna Mueller, 75, and James Mueller, 76, of Wisconsin. The other two victims remain in critical condition, police said.

The lightning was unleashed by a severe thunderstorm that swept across the District just before 7 p.m. The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for much of the Beltway area between 6:30 and 7:15 p.m., cautioning of the threat of damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-size hail.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/08/05/two-dead-white-house-lightning/

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Updated. Original article -