Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, shown here in an undated image posted to a LinkedIn account in his name, self-immolated in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C., Feb. 25, 2024. Bushnell livestreamed the act himself and in the video stated he was protesting the war in Gaza. (LinkedIn)
An airman who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington has died, police and Air Force statements said Monday.
Aaron Bushnell, 25, died after being transported to a local hospital, the Metropolitan Police Department said in an email. Bushnell in a livestreamed video appeared to douse himself in accelerant Sunday at 1 p.m. before igniting the fire.
Bushnell said in his video that he was protesting U.S. support for Israel’s offensive against Hamas.
The person involved in the incident was an active-duty airman, Rose Riley, an Air Force spokeswoman, confirmed Monday in a statement. A military directory lists Bushnell as a senior airman.
Police are working with the U.S. Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate the incident, the police statement said Monday.
Metropolitan Police in an earlier statement said its officers had responded to the scene outside the Israeli Embassy to assist U.S. Secret Service officers and that its bomb squad also had been called to examine a suspicious vehicle. Police said no hazardous materials were found in the vehicle.
Bushnell’s video was livestreamed on Twitch, which said it had suspended his channel for violating the platform’s community guidelines.
A still image from video shows Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, moments before he ignited an accelerant fluid he poured over himself in front of the Israeli embassy, Feb. 25, 2024. Bushnell livestreamed his action on the online platform Twitch, which later removed the video. (Screengrab)
A LinkedIn profile with a picture matching Bushnell’s other social media accounts says he was in the Air Force for almost four years, with a specialty in computer information systems.
Bushnell’s act is the second-known instance of self-immolation in America over the Israel-Hamas war. In December, a person set their body ablaze outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta and used gasoline as an accelerant, according to Atlanta’s fire authorities.
A Palestinian flag was found at the scene, and the act was believed to be one of “extreme political protest.”
In the video, Bushnell described his protest in similar terms.
“I will no longer be complicit in genocide,” Bushnell said in his video.
The war began Oct. 7, when Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and took about 200 hostages. The Gazan health ministry operated under Hamas says that more than 29,000 people have died in the ensuing Israeli offensive. The figure does not differentiate between fighters and civilians.
Bushnell’s death happened as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking cabinet approval for a military operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah while a temporary cease-fire deal is being negotiated.
Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has drawn criticisms, including genocide allegations against the country brought by South Africa to the International Court of Justice. Israel has adamantly denied the genocide allegations and says it is carrying out operations in accordance with international law.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
