Folsom native killed in lightning strike near White House remembered for "unwavering positivity"
FOLSOM -- The devastation of a thunderstorm in Washington D.C. is being felt in California.
Folsom native Brooks Lambertson, 29, was among three people fatally struck by lightning Thursday while visiting the nation's capital. The young bank executive was one of several people waiting out a storm under a tree in Lafayette Park, just north of the White House.
Lambertson was a vice president at City National Bank in Los Angeles. He had traveled to Washington D.C. for business.
In a statement, the bank described Lambertson as an exceptional young man who will be remembered for his "generosity, kindness and unwavering positivity."
The lightning strike also claimed the lives of James and Donna Mueller. The Wisconsin couple had traveled to the capital for their wedding anniversary. Both were in their 70s.
A fourth victim, a woman, remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Firefighters in Washington D.C. said that Thursday's incident wasn't the first time people have been struck by lightning near the White House. In 2020, two national guardsmen were struck by lightning in Lafayette Park.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 450 people have died from lightning strikes in the United States since 2006.
Still, experts say the odds of being struck by lighting in a given year are less than one in a million.