Source: Anadolu / Getty
An active-duty U.S. Air Force member, identified by police as 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell of San Antonio, Texas, died on Sunday after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. in an apparent protest against the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Bushnell filmed the incident and called the Israeli actions “genocide”
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Dressed in military fatigues, Bushnell filmed himself before setting himself ablaze. During the livestream, he can be heard yelling “Free Palestine” and calling the Israeli actions in Gaza “genocide.” He then stated that his actions “were not as extreme as the suffering of the Palestinian people.”
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Bushnell was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries
Fire and emergency services responded to the scene shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday and found Bushnell with life-threatening injuries. Though the flames were extinguished by the Secret Service before firefighters arrived, Bushnell later died at the hospital.
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Social media posts shed light on Bushnell’s motives
On his Facebook page, Bushnell shared a link to a “Free Palestine” channel that has since been taken down. He also posted a message seemingly urging action, stating: “The answer is, you’re doing it. Right now.”
This incident follows a similar one in December where a woman set herself on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta. It also occurs as the Israel-Hamas war continues into its fourth month, with international figures expressing concerns about the potential for further escalation.
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