A man who set himself on fire at the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday has died, authorities said.
Police identified the man as Wynn Bruce, 50, of Boulder, Colorado, KDVR-TV reported.
According to a public incident report obtained by People, Supreme Court Police witnessed Bruce light himself on fire in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. EDT on the plaza in front of the building, Supreme Court spokesperson Patricia McCabe said in a statement. A medical helicopter landed near the Capitol for a medical emergency, the U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement.
According to D.C. Metropolitan Police, Bruce was airlifted to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries, People reported.
Police responded to a man setting himself on fire in front of the Supreme Court building Friday evening. https://t.co/5ohvoxDc9p
— FOX31 Denver KDVR (@KDVR) April 23, 2022
According to the Capitol Police, the incident was not a public safety issue, WTTG-TV reported. Several blocks near the Supreme Court were closed because of the incident, according to the television station.
No one else was injured, McCabe said. It was unknown why Bruce chose to light himself on fire, police said.
>> Man attempts to set himself on fire on steps of Supreme Court
The incident came after a chaotic 48 hours in the nation’s capital. Earlier Friday, four people were wounded near the University of the District of Columbia in the northwest area of the city. A suspect in the shooting was found dead at his apartment near the shooting.
On Wednesday, Capitol Police temporarily evacuated the Capitol complex when an unidentified aircraft flew near the Capitol. That aircraft was later found to be carrying U.S. Army Golden Knights to nearby Nationals Park for a parachute demonstration before a major league baseball game.
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