Massive Lightning Strike Near White House Leaves Two Dead, Two in Critical Condition

Sarah RumpfAug 5th, 2022, 10:32 am
 

Two people are dead and two injured after being struck by lightning across the street from the White House Thursday evening.

According to CNN, James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, were visiting from Wisconsin when they were struck by lightning in Lafayette Park, right across Pennsylvania Ave. from the White House, while “riding out the storm under a tree, according to a law enforcement source.”

Sadly, the couple died from their injuries, reported Fox 5 DC. The other couple remain hospitalized in critical condition and their names have not yet been released.

Members of the Park Police and Secret Service witnessed the strike and rushed to aid the victims, finding all four unconscious underneath the tree and administering CPR and AED, as well as calling D.C. Fire and EMS.

“What I want to do is thank them because their agents, their officers witnessed this lightning strike and immediately began to render aid to the four victims which is very critical in helping with survivability,” said Vito Maggiolo, the spokesperson for D.C. Fire and EMS.

The four people were transported to the hospital, all with “critical life threatening injuries,” as reported on the D.C. Fire and EMS Twitter feed.

Washington, D.C. was experiencing severe thunderstorms Thursday evening, and several local reporters who were filming nearby captured footage of lightning and thunder (it is not known if any of these clips include the specific lightning strike that struck the people).

“We are saddened by the tragic loss of life after the lightning strike in Lafayette Park,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones, and we are praying for those still fighting for their lives.”


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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.