WASHINGTON — A man has died after police say he set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Northwest, D.C. on Sunday. The man is allegedly an active-duty member with the U.S. Air Force. A DC Police spokesperson confirmed the man died from his injuries Monday morning.
Just before 1 p.m., DC Fire received a call about a person on fire. When they arrived, they found the fire had been extinguished by Secret Service, said Vito Maggiolo, the public information officer with DC Fire.
The man was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for critical, life-threatening injuries after lighting himself on fire, according to Maggiolo. A DC Police spokesperson confirmed the man died from his injuries Monday morning.
Police later identified the man as 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell of San Antonio, Texas.
A spokesperson from the Israeli Embassy said “no embassy staff were injured and are safe.”
In a video obtained of the incident, investigators say Bushnell identifies himself as an Air Force member and says, "I will no longer be complicit in genocide” before going on to say what he’s about to do is minimal compared to the suffering of Palestinians.
He then sets a camera on the ground in front of him and pours an unknown liquid all over himself. Investigators say while igniting the liquid, he kept yelling "Free Palestine" repeatedly.
Police also investigated a "suspicious vehicle" it said may be connected to the man who set himself on fire, but the car was cleared at 4 p.m. Police say no hazardous material was found. That car was later towed.
DC Police are working with the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate this case.
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