WASHINGTON.- An active member of the United States Air Force died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, while declaring that he “will no longer be complicit in genocide.”
The 25-year-old airman, Aaron Bushnell, of San Antonio, Texas, died from his injuries, the Metropolitan Police Department reported Monday.
Bushnell walked to the embassy shortly before 1 p.m. and began streaming live on Twitch, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Police officers believe the man started a transmission, put his phone on the ground and then sprayed himself with accelerant and set himself on fire. At one point he declared that “he will no longer be complicit in genocide,” the person said. The video was later removed from the platform, but law enforcement agencies obtained a copy and reviewed it.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose details of an ongoing investigation.
The incident occurred at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to obtain approval from his cabinet to begin a military operation in the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, as a cessation agreement is negotiated. of fire.
Last December, a person blew himself up in front of the Israeli consulate in Atlanta and used gasoline as an accelerant, according to Atlanta firefighters. A Palestinian flag was found at the site. The event is believed to have been an “extreme political protest.”
Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement that its officers had responded to a report outside the Israeli embassy to support Secret Service agents and that its bomb squad was also called to inspect a suspicious vehicle. Police said no hazardous materials were found inside the vehicle.
Source: With information from AP
