More on the man who set himself on fire in N.Y. (The Guardian)

[usonian]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/19/trump-trial-person-fire

Posting just the info that seems pertinent to his motives.
The rest is at The Guardian link above.

Authorities identified the man as Maxwell Azzarello, from St Augustine, Florida, and said he had thrown pamphlets in the air containing anti-government conspiracy theories before setting himself alight. He had also made at least one similarly themed posting online.
...

Joseph Kenny, NYPD’s chief of detectives, said the pamphlets and social media posts made by Azzarello suggested the trial was a backdrop to Azzarello’s action, rather than a reason for it.

“The pamphlet seems to be propaganda-based, almost like a conspiracy-theory-type of pamphlet, some information in regards to Ponzi schemes, and the fact that some of our local educational institutes are a front for the mob,” he said, adding that Azzarello had no criminal history in New York, and was not previously known to authorities.

Tarik Sheppard, the deputy commissioner of the NYPD, also said detectives did not believe Trump, or his supporters, were the focus of the Azzarello’s action. “We do not believe this was targeting any particular person or a particular group. We just right now labeled him as a sort of conspiracy theorist and we’ll go from there, but the investigation will continue,” he said.

Age 37, arrived in New York from Florida earlier this week. (update) Did not survive.

[Ms. Toad]

1. He died about 3 hours ago. n/t

[Ligyron]

2. Probably for the best, considering.

[Silent3]

11. It's a mercy

It would have been nothing but pain and misery if he had survived.

[usonian]

3. Thanks, I'll update.

Hell of a way to go.

[H2O Man]

4. Recommended.

It's a strange and sad case that unfortunately fits the times. His act, rather than his belief system, is what he will be remembered for. I do think the only "good thing" is that he wasn't a mass shooter attempting to communicate their hatreds.

Large segments of society have become Emile Durkheim's "dis- organized dust of individuals."

[NBachers]

8. I thought the same- Better not to have killed others in a rampage. But many who were part of it will still be affected.

[ZoMe]

9. "they embrace whatever brew of notions, no matter how divergent, blends with their particular grievances"

Very sad.

There is “a mixed bag approach to their beliefs,” said Brian Hughes, an assistant professor at American University in Washington, D.C., and co-founder of a program that studies extremism there. With the scattered, often haphazard nature of online content, “you can string together all kinds of concepts in a way where logic doesn’t have to factor into it at all, much less ideological consistency. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-politics-violence-far-right/

I've come across more and more of this in real life (but not to such a dangerous or violent degree).

[BigmanPigman]

5. I saw a video of him burning

before they took it down. He was awake and was gesturing for help and tried to put out his own burning body and clothes. It was very gruesome. His head looked like a charcoal briquette with his nose, lips and ears were unrecognizable and his skin was black and peeling off his body which was twitching and writhing in pain. Much worse than when Anne Heche died. The NYFD and NYPD tried to put him out but when he rolled over the fire started to burn his undies. It went on for a while.

He never had a chance.

[nolabear]

6. This is gruesome as hell but

I wonder what it feels like. Almost too horrid to contemplate but I don’t expect the nerves last long. Yeesh. What a day…

[BigmanPigman]

10. I'm not knowledgeable about burning bodies but

it seems to me that he was is severe shock and that probably was a good thing. I guess it was his body's natural response to preserve itself.

[Texasgal]

7. From some news reports

it appears that he asked someone nearby to move away so that they would not be hurt. In his last words he apologized for to the emergency response, firefighters and the police department.

To me and in my own opinion, he was suffering a complete mental breakdown. I feel sorry for him and also those that had to witness.

[lastlib]

12. He's dead, Jim.