Aaron Bushnell, a serving US Air Force officer was taken to hospital in a critical condition after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in DC in a live streamed protest over the war in Gaza.
Horrific video shows Aaron Bushnell, 25, explaining the reasons for his ‘extreme act of protest’ as he walked up to the building before screaming ‘Free Palestine’ as he goes up in flames.
Bushnell is a DevOps engineer based in San Antonio, Texas, according to his LinkedIn profile.
It describes him as an ‘aspiring software engineer with educational and work experience in software development and Linux system administration, looking for SkillBridge programs to transition out of the US Air Force into software engineering’.
A spokesperson for the US Air Force confirmed Bushnell is an active-duty airman.
What happened
On February 25, 2024, United States military serviceman Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire outside the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C. Bushnell cited ongoing United States support for Israel in the Israel–Hamas war as the motivation for his immolation, declaring “I will no longer be complicit in genocide.”
The act was livestreamed on Twitch.
As the act occurred, Bushnell repeatedly screamed “Free Palestine” while on fire. The Metropolitan Police Department responded to assist the United States Secret Service after he set himself on fire, and he was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
The hospital has not given an update on his condition; however, an independent journalist reported that he had died.
This event marks the first time that a member of the United States military on active duty has immolated himself.
The Secret Service, Metropolitan Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced they would investigate the incident.
Twitch removed Bushnell’s livestream due to guideline violations.
Was US Airman Aaron Bushnell married?
There is currently no information available regarding Aaron Bushnell’s marital status or whether he had a wife.
Given the recent nature of the incident and the limited details released, his personal life, including any romantic relationships, remains undisclosed.
