# Self-Immolation on the National Mall **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 5, 2013, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-immolation-on-the-national-mall/670428 "2013-10-05T12:40:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-immolation-on-the-national-mall/670428/1 "2013-10-05T12:40:08Z")
Man Sets Self On Fire At National Mall reads the headline: > **[HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News](https://www.huffpost.com/)** > > Read the latest headlines, news stories, and opinion from Politics, Entertainment, Life, Perspectives, and more. and apparently he’s still alive, or he was when arrived at the hospital > [@](#): > > The man on the Mall suffered life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to the hospital, said District of Columbia fire department spokesman Tim Wilson. > > He was standing by himself in the center portion of the Mall when he emptied the contents of a red gasoline can on himself and set himself on fire moments later, said Katy Scheflen, who witnessed it as she walked across the area. Police say they responded around 4:20 p.m. Friday. > > Scheflen said passing joggers took off their shirts in an effort to help douse the flames, and the man was clearly alive as the fire spread. A police department spokesman said he was conscious and breathing at the scene. MedStar Washington Hospital Center tweeted that the man was taken there and he was in critical condition. But that’s all I know just in that article there. Is it on the big news channels? Is it on their websites? I really am asking - maybe my search fu is letting me down. Does anyone know anything more about this? ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-immolation-on-the-national-mall/670428/2 "2013-10-05T14:25:10Z")
It probably isn’t getting too much hype has most news sources as a habit do not report suicide or suicide attempts. There are some articles out there - Washington Post would be a good source. From what I heard on the scanner he was ‘an asian male in his 50’s’ per bystanders. Park Police arrived quickly and had their helicopter land on the Mall to transport him to the hospital. I also remember hearing something about being possibly homeless but I cannot confirm that fact or where I heard it. I know people hate the source but Drudge Report often has very good links to ongoing news, and I know this story is on there in detail. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-immolation-on-the-national-mall/670428/3 "2013-10-05T18:20:29Z")
> [@2gigch1](#): > > It probably isn’t getting too much hype has most news sources as a habit do not report suicide or suicide attempts. There are some articles out there - Washington Post would be a good source. > > From what I heard on the scanner he was ‘an asian male in his 50’s’ per bystanders. Park Police arrived quickly and had their helicopter land on the Mall to transport him to the hospital. I also remember hearing something about being possibly homeless but I cannot confirm that fact or where I heard it. > > I know people hate the source but Drudge Report often has very good links to ongoing news, and I know this story is on there in detail. Interesting. I would have thought such an unusual act would have received coverage even though it was a suicide attempt. I suppose it’s in the victim’s best interest not to make a big deal out of it, in case he survives. As for the Drudge links - hook a sister up, please! I didn’t spot anything there but it’s such a hideous website that I assume I’m missing something. The link to the possible new Leonardo is pretty exciting though. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/10356401/Leonardo-da-Vinci-painting-lost-for-centuries-found-in-Swiss-bank-vault.html](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/10356401/Leonardo-da-Vinci-painting-lost-for-centuries-found-in-Swiss-bank-vault.html) ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-immolation-on-the-national-mall/670428/4 "2013-10-05T18:23:22Z")
I read about it yesterday on the front page of CNN. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-immolation-on-the-national-mall/670428/5 "2013-10-05T18:34:16Z")
[He died this morning.](http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/04/20822251-man-believed-to-have-set-himself-on-fire-on-national-mall-dies-of-injuries?lite) ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-immolation-on-the-national-mall/670428/6 "2013-10-05T19:13:53Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > Interesting. I would have thought such an unusual act would have received coverage even though it was a suicide attempt. I suppose it’s in the victim’s best interest not to make a big deal out of it, in case he survives. Plus publicizing suicides tends to encourage copycatting - if not in exact method, at least in increasing the suicide rate temporarily. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-immolation-on-the-national-mall/670428/7 "2013-10-05T19:31:36Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > [He died this morning.](http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/04/20822251-man-believed-to-have-set-himself-on-fire-on-national-mall-dies-of-injuries?lite) Kind of crazy that they don’t know who he is. Self immolation is usually in protest of something. You’d think if you were going to go to such lengths to register your dislike of something, you’d leave a note to make sure people would know who you were and why you burned yourself to death. Course, I guess the voices in his head might have told him they’d take care of that end of things. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-immolation-on-the-national-mall/670428/8 "2013-10-05T20:09:09Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Kind of crazy that they don’t know who he is. Self immolation is usually in protest of something. You’d think if you were going to go to such lengths to register your dislike of something, you’d leave a note to make sure people would know who you were and why you burned yourself to death. > > Course, I guess the voices in his head might have told him they’d take care of that end of things. Not always. When I worked in a burn ICU, we had more than one self immolation who had no agenda other than suicide. One even tried to jump out of the rescue helicopter. Also, my ex-mother in law did it after her husband died. It was before I met the ex, but, it messed him up bad.