3 dead after lightning strike near White House
Three people have died and a fourth remains in critical condition after a lightning strike across the street from the White House, police said Friday evening.
WASHINGTON — Three people have died and a fourth remains in critical condition after a lightning strike across the street from the White House on Thursday night, the Metropolitan Police Department said Friday evening.
Police on Friday morning identified two of the people who died: James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, both of Janesville, Wis. Later, the department said it was notified that a third victim had died: a 29-year-old man whose name is being withheld pending family notification.
An adult woman is still in critical condition, an MPD spokesperson said.
In a statement Friday morning, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: "We are saddened by the tragic loss of life after the lightning strike in Lafayette Park. Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones, and we are praying for those still fighting for their lives."
A spokesperson for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, Vito Maggiolo, said Thursday night that agency personnel found the victims with “critical, life threatening” injuries in Lafayette Square shortly before 7 p.m. ET.
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