Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old active member of the US Air Force, tragically lost his life after setting himself on fire outside of the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C.
Video of Aaron Bushnell setting himself on fire goes viral
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The distressing incident was caught on camera, which Bushnell himself streamed live on Twitch.
In the video, Bushnell expressed his refusal to be “complicit in genocide,” referring explicitly to the situation of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
He staged this act of protest around 13:00 on Sunday, 25 February 2024, placing his phone on the ground in front of the embassy, dousing himself in what appeared to be gasoline, and igniting the fire.
His blood-curdling cries of “Free Palestine” were heard as the flames engulfed him, with firefighters arriving shortly after to extinguish the blaze.
Was Bushnell a Member of the U.S. Air Force?
Despite the US Air Force’s repeated refusal to confirm if Aaron Bushnell was a member, the 25-year-old’s LinkedIn page states that he graduated top-class from the service’s basic training, in November 2020.
According to reports, Bushnell had plans to gradually transition toward a career in software engineering.
Aaron Bushnell planned to set himself on fire
Bushnell’s act was premeditated, as evidenced by several factors, including the chilling video recording.
The 25-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, documented his journey towards the embassy with a jar of inflammable liquid, setting up his phone to capture the act of setting himself on fire.
Despite the evident planning and determination, the video also captured a harrowing scene of Bushnell attempting multiple times to ignite the fire before finally succeeding.
Hours before the incident, Bushnell had also sent emails to several news outlets, informing reporters of his plans “to engage in an extreme act of protest against the genocide of the Palestinian people.”
Following his death, the online ‘Free Palestine’ movement hailed him as a martyr and hero.
The Israeli Embassy confirmed that no staff were injured during the incident.
