A man who set himself on fire near the White House yesterday (Wednesday) has died.
The Secret Service and Park Police say the man, identified as 33-year-old Arnav Gupta of Bethesda, Maryland, lit himself on fire and ran across a field near the White House as stunned visitors looked on. Officers rushed to the scene moments later and extinguished the fire. The man was rushed to the hospital with burns over 85 percent of his body and he later died at night.
His motivation for lighting himself on fire is unknown. His family had reported him missing earlier in the day and expressed concern about his physical and emotional health. (NBC News)
Hot Takes:
- The scene was captured on video.
- He was on fire for about a full minute before officers arrived.
- We may never know what, if anything, he may have been protesting.