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Man Who Set Himself on Fire Near White House Dies

Witnesses saw him walking while ablaze in White House Ellipse, a national park
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted May 29, 2019 6:10 PM CDT
Updated May 30, 2019 6:47 AM CDT

Visitors to a national park near the White House were stunned Wednesday to see a man walking while completely on fire, and the Washington Post now reports that the man identified as 33-year-old Arnav Gupta of Maryland has died. Videos were taken—here's one and here's another, but be warned, they're graphic—before law enforcement swooped in to douse Gupta with fire extinguishers in the park, called the White House Ellipse. The Secret Service tweeted that Gupta self-immolated and was given first aid, though ABC News reports there's no word on whether he was making a political statement. NBC News notes that his family had reported him missing earlier in the day. (A veteran set himself on fire outside the Georgia capitol last year.)

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