Lightning strike outside White House kills Wisconsin couple
Two people from Wisconsin were killed by a bolt of lightning near the White House in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. The lightning struck at 6:52 p.m., critically injuring four people who were standing in Lafayette Park, located just north of the White House.
"Upon arrival, we found four patients. Two adult males and two adult females. All four were suffering critical, life-threatening injuries," said Vito Maggiolo, spokesperson for D.C. Fire and EMS.
The two killed were from Janesville, Wisconsin, with NBC 15 in Madison identifying them as James Mueller and Donna Mueller.
A Fox5 DC camera captured the moment of the strike.
It's unclear if any of the victims were struck directly by the bolt.
"All we know for sure is that there was a lighting strike in their immediate vicinity," Maggiolo said, noting that there was a tree in the area.
Officers from the Uniformed Division of the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Park Police immediately rushed to the victims and provided life-saving measures. The two from Wisconsin were confirmed dead at a hospital, while the condition of the other two is unknown.
