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D.C. police have identified the third person killed by lightning near the White House on Thursday 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 said earlier. A fourth person was seriously injured when the strike struck shortly 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 a lightning strike near the White House
Lambertson’s father, who asked that his name not be used as the family grieves because “it’s not about us,” said in an interview with The Washington Post Saturday night that his son was “probably the best human being I know.”
Her son’s kindness, generosity and humility “showed in everything he did, in all his interactions with people,” she 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 the company’s sponsorships. According to the statement, Lambertson, who lived in downtown LA, previously worked in marketing for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.
Police offered few more details about Lambertson or additional information about the incident Saturday.
In a phone call, Lambertson’s father expressed his gratitude to all the first responders and others who tried to help his son. They did everything that could be done, she said, and her son’s death “wasn’t because everyone did their job.”
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“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 across the country,” the family’s statement said. Lambertson’s employer.
A D.C. police spokeswoman said Saturday afternoon that the department had no update on the condition of the fourth victim, who had been hospitalized after the strike.
This breaking story will be updated.