A man who set himself on fire, on the National Mall in D.C., Friday, Oct. 4, is dead. According to NBC News, officials announced that he had passed away from his injuries around 9 p.m. that night. The man’s age and name is unknown, and his burns were so bad that authorities will have to use DNA and dental records to identify him.
Joggers and other passer-bys ripped off their shirts to assist in extinguishing the flames that engulfed the man’s body during the incident, which occurred around 4:24 p.m. ET. It happened on Seventh Street Southwest near the National Air and Space Museum.
Witnesses say that the man was standing by himself in the center part of the Mall when he emptied a can of gasoline over his head, the proceeded to set himself on fire. He showed no signs of attempting this horrific act when he entered the area, but was instead seen with a tripod and spoke intellectually before the incident.
According to Washington Post, the police said that he was conscious and breathing when he was life flighted to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where he later died.
The reason for the self-immolation is still not clear, but the publicness of the incident has shaken the nerves of the nation’s capitol, still dealing with the high speed chase that ended with one woman dead the day before, and weeks after the mass-shooting at the nearby Navy yard.
Cailley Breckinridge is sophomore Telecommunications Major. This is her second semester writing for BUNow and she is currently the On-Campus Editor.
