Man sets himself on fire at National Mall 'over government shutdown'

[HipChick]

Washington DC emergency services were called tonight to a man who had apparently set himself on fire in the middle of the National Mall in the vicinity of numerous federal museums closed by the government shutdown, including the National Gallery.

While there was no official explanation for the immolation, it appeared that the unidentified person had set himself alight. He was flown to a nearby hospital by helicopter. While he was still breathing, a fire department spokesman said he was suffering from life threatening injuries. Rescue crews said they had found a container of inflammable liquid near the spot where he was found. There was no early word on the identity of the individual.

If it turns out to be a self-inflicted ignition, the early speculation was bound to centre on some kind of protest for the now four-day old government shut down that has sent tens of thousands of government workers home without pay for the time being and made national parks inaccessible to visitors including thousands of tourists from abroad.

Last month, the capital of the United States saw a mass shooting at the Navy Yards when a mentally ill man opened fire on civilian workers, killing twelve and injuring several more, before being fatally shot by police. On Thursday, a woman from Connecticut was shot dead after she tried to crash her car through barriers at the White House and later led a dramatic chase through streets in the immediate vicinity of the US Capitol.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/chaos-in-washington-as-man-sets-himself-on-fire-at-national-mall-over-government-shutdown-8860048.html

[RavensChick]

1. Oh, dear God.

This is getting out of control. I pray he survives.

[SummerSnow]

2. Who thinks these tragic incidents will happen again due to govt shutdown?

[Cerridwen]

3. "it appears" "if it turns out" That would be called speculation

based on??? nothing.

Rumor substantiated by speculation equals...

No facts. Speculation only.

I'll wait.

[FirstLight]

4. those words have no place in a news story

journalists are not supposed to use those terms...

[Cerridwen]

5. Welcome to Orwell's nightmare.

Aka, the "fourth estate."

Bought and paid for by the idle, gilded class in the good old US of A.

[lunasun]

7. agree

[cynatnite]

12. Same here. n/t

[HipChick]

13. This does not look like rumor to me...been all over the local DC news tonight..

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/man-sets-fire-national-mall-20477653

[Pretzel_Warrior]

14. There could well be circumstantial evidence pointing to

That conclusion in which case it isn't empty speculation.

[malaise]

6. Is it Tunisia yet?

[JaneyVee]

8. It's happening.

[truebluegreen]

9. "early speculation"--stop right there. nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

10. "If it turns out to be a self-inflicted ignition..."

In other words, we have no idea yet what happened but we need to put something sensational here, so there you go...

[KoKo]

11. Really sad, after what happened yesterday....

[Recursion]

15. Oh come on. That's three sequential "if's" there

Whereas, "if" it was because he was worried about low frequency electromagnetic control of his brain, it's entirely different.

[Connie_Corleone]

16. What a horribly written article.

Speculation and no facts to back it up.