Air Force Service Member Dies After Setting Himself On Fire Outside Israeli Embassy in Protest of Gaza War

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A U.S. service member in the Air Force set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C., in a live-streamed protest of the war in Gaza. He died from his injuries soon after on Sunday night.

The Metropolitan Police Department along with D.C. Fire and EMS responded Sunday afternoon to assist Secret Service after an individual set themselves on fire in front of the embassy in Northwest DC.

According to a video reviewed by CNN, the man, a service member named Aaron Bushnell, could be heard saying, “I will no longer be complicit in genocide” adding that the harm he’s about to do himself is nothing compared to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.

The service member then puts down the recording device and begins pouring liquid over himself before lighting himself on fire while screaming, “Free Palestine.” Law enforcement arrived and doused the flames with fire extinguishers after he collapsed.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force confirmed in a statement to CNN that “an active duty Airman was involved in today’s incident.” Law enforcement noted in a statement that the individual was transported to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition from severe injuries.

Per CNN:

By the time firefighters were dispatched to the scene, the fire had already been extinguished by the US Secret Service, according to Vito Maggiolo, a public information officer from DC Fire.

MPD said it is working with the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate the incident.

Israel launched a ground offensive in the Gaza region following the October 7 terror attack that killed more than 1,000 people and took hundreds more hostage. Israel’s response in Gaza has killed nearly 30,000 people, the majority women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.