This story was updated Feb. 26 at 8:22 p.m. to include new information from the Air Force.
An active duty member of the U.S. Air Force died Sunday after he set himself ablaze outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., while declaring that he “will no longer be complicit in genocide.”
Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, of Whitman, Massachusetts, died from his injuries, the Air Force confirmed Monday evening.
Bushnell had walked up to the embassy shortly before 1 p.m. on Sunday and began livestreaming on the video streaming platform Twitch, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
Law enforcement officials believe the man started a livestream, set his phone down and then doused himself in accelerant and ignited the flames.
At one point, he said he “will no longer be complicit in genocide,” the person said. The video was later removed from the platform, but law enforcement officials have obtained and reviewed a copy.
The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Bushnell worked as a cyber defense operations specialist with the 531st Intelligence Support Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio, the Air Force said in a release Monday. He had served on active duty since May 2020.
“When a tragedy like this occurs, every member of the Air Force feels it,” said Col. Celina Noyes, commander of the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing at Fort Meade, Maryland, which oversees Bushnell’s squadron. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Senior Airman Bushnell. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, and we ask that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.”
The incident happened as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking the 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, however, has drawn criticisms, including genocide claims against the Palestinians.
Israel has adamantly denied the genocide allegations and says it is carrying out operations in accordance with international law in the Israel-Hamas war.
In December, a person self-immolated 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.”
Rachel Cohen is the editor of Air Force Times. She joined the publication as its senior reporter in March 2021. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Frederick News-Post (Md.), Air and Space Forces Magazine, Inside Defense, Inside Health Policy and elsewhere.
