Just one day after the chaotic shooting on Capitol Hill, a man doused in gasoline set himself on fire while sitting on the National Mall on Friday, the New York Daily News reported.
The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. between the Air and Space Museum and the National Gallery. As joggers and walkers passed by, they ran to help the unidentified man put out the flames that ABC News reported burned 80 percent of his body.
A U.S. Park Police helicopter immediately flew to the scene and transported the man to MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Tim Wilson, a fire department spokesman, said the man sustained life-threatening injuries but was conscious and alert when officials approached him.
Authorities are unsure of a motive at this point.
"I'm not aware of any signage or any articulation of any causes," said Lt. Pamela Smith of the U.S. Park Police, which is collaborating with the D.C. police force.
Katy Scheflen, a civil rights attorney on temporary paid leave due to the shutdown, said she saw a man with a tripod set up. She also said she saw a second man, possibly the one who set himself on fire, pour gasoline over his head as the first man started shooting film.
"At that point we didn't know what was going, maybe it was some sort of stage protest," Scheflen said. "And then he set himself on fire and went up in flames," she said.
"I saw like a spark," she said. "Then he just went completely up in flames."
Scheflen recalled what happened next.
"Some heads up joggers put out the flames," she said. "A guy took his shirt off, ran over, you know, start trying to beat the flames out. A couple other joggers also stopped to help."
"It's very shocking," she said. "It's horrifying. Literally watching this guy go up in flames. There was not really anything anybody could do."
Although she is not certain, she added that the man with the tripod looked like he knew exactly what was going on.
"It was obviously an intentional act," she added. "Somebody has a video of the whole thing."
