A man set himself on fire outside a Manhattan courthouse during former President Donald Trump’s trial on Friday. The New York Police Department provided updates on the incident, stating that the man, identified as Max Azzarello, born in 1987 and from St. Augustine, Florida, is alive but in critical condition.
Azzarello reportedly poured an accelerant on himself and set himself on fire in a park directly opposite the courthouse. First responders, civilians, and NYPD officers quickly rushed to extinguish the flames using fire extinguishers and their coats. Azzarello was then taken to the Cornell Burn Center for treatment.
Mediaite contacted a source who was friends with a relative of the man who also confirmed Azzarello’s identity and described him as someone who had developed “mental health issues.”
“He was a really good kid who got really far down socialist rabbit holes,” said the source, who added that Azzarello had worked as a grassroots Democratic organizer. “He was just a really decent kid, like a really well meaning guy,” the source recalled, describing Azzarello’s political views when the source knew him as “very old school hippie.”
He pulls out a canister, and pours some kind of liquid on themselves, a liquid we believe is an accelerant,” Maddrey continued. “And he lights himself on fire,” and “takes a couple of steps while he’s on fire, then eventually falls onto a police barrier and falls down to the ground.”
Reports suggest that Azzarello may have been experiencing mental health issues. He had allegedly posted a manifesto online containing conspiracy theories about the government, prominent universities, the COVID-19 pandemic, cryptocurrency, and other topics.
Witnesses and family members stated that Azzarello arrived in New York sometime earlier in the week, with his car confirmed in St. Augustine as of April 13. His family members were unaware he was even in New York.
The accelerant Azzarello used appears to be an alcohol-based substance for cleaning. Several police officers and a court officer sustained minor injuries from their exposure to the fire, but they are stable and categorized as having minor injuries.
