DC lightning strike by White House: Third deceased victim identified

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D.C. police have identified the third person killed by a Thursday lightning strike near the White House as Brooks A. Lambertson, 29, a Los Angeles bank employee who was in the nation’s capital on business.

A husband and wife from Wisconsin, who were visiting the District to celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary, were also killed, police previously said. A fourth person was critically injured when the strike hit just before 7 p.m. Thursday, in a grove of trees in Lafayette Square, about 100 feet from a statue of President Andrew Jackson.

Lambertson died Friday, according to police.

Four critically injured after lightning strike near the White House

Lambertson’s father, who requested his name not be used as the family grieves because “it’s not about us,” said in an interview with The Washington Post on Saturday night that his son was “probably the best human being that I know.”

His son’s kindness, generosity and humility “showed up in everything he did, in all his interactions with people,” he said.

Lambertson’s family and his employer, City National Bank, said in a statement Saturday that he was in D.C. for his job as a vice president managing sponsorships for the company. Lambertson, who lived in downtown L.A., previously worked in marketing for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, according to the statement.

Police offered few other details about Lambertson or additional information about the incident Saturday.

In a phone call, Lambertson’s father expressed gratitude to all the first responders and others who tried to help his son. They did everything that could be done, he said, and his son’s death “was not for lack of everybody doing their jobs.”

How lightning works — and how to stay safe when it’s in the area

“His sudden loss is devastating to all who knew him, and his family, friends and colleagues appreciate the thoughts and prayers that poured in from around the country,” the statement from Lambertson’s family and employer said.

A D.C. police spokeswoman said late Saturday that the department did not have an update on the condition of the fourth victim, who had been hospitalized after the strike.

This breaking story will be updated.

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