A climate activist who lit himself on fire on Earth Day outside the United States Supreme Court Building has died, according to reports.
Wynn Bruce, 50, of Boulder, Colorado, died Saturday, a day after he set himself ablaze in Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department told Fox News.
The incident happened around 6:30 p.m. on the plaza in front of the court building.
He was airlifted to a local hospital, where he died.
A Facebook page belonging to a person named Wynn Bruce said he was a Buddhist and a climate activist.
In 2020, Bruce left a cryptic Facebook comment that included a fire emoji and the date of his death, 4/22/2022.
A Buddhist priest from Boulder said she knew Bruce and called his death “an act of compassion.”
“This guy was my friend. He meditated with our sangha [Buddhist community],” Dr. K. Kritee wrote. “This act is not suicide. This is a deeply fearless act of compassion to bring attention to climate crisis. We are piecing together info but he had been planning it for at least one year.”
Supreme Court Police said that they were still investigating the man’s motive for self-immolation. No one else was injured in the incident.
Earlier in the day, four people were shot when a gunman suddenly opened fire in a residential area in the Northwest section of the city, forcing residents and schools to lockdown and shelter in place. The gunman was later found dead.
A spokeswoman for the Supreme Court said on Friday that Bruce’s death was not related to the shooting and “not a public safety issue.”
The disturbing incident was just the latest act of self-immolation in Washington D.C.
In 2019, Arnav Gupta of Bethesda, Maryland set himself on fire outside the White House. He died shortly after due to his injuries.
In 1965, pacifist Norman Morrison was killed when he set himself on fire outside the Pentagon to protest the war in Vietnam.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
With Post wires
