April 20 (UPI) — A man who set himself on fire outside the New York City courtroom where former President Donald Trump is facing a criminal trial has died of his injuries, police said Saturday.
A New York Police Department spokesperson told NBC News and Deadline that Maxwell Azzarello of St. Augustine, Fla., had succumbed to his burn injuries hours after he lit himself on fire at a designated protest area in Collect Pond Park across the street from Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday afternoon.
Azzarello unexpectedly set himself on fire outside as jury selection was wrapping up at Trump’s New York hush-money trial, which is set to begin Monday. CNN was reporting live outside the courthouse and captured the scene as bright orange flames engulfed the man and witnesses screamed.
Some people rushed to try to help before police officers rushed over and put out the flames. The Fire Department of New York responded to the scene within minutes and took Mazzarello to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was initially listed in critical condition.
The man threw pamphlets into the air before he set himself on fire, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters.
“The pamphlets seem to be propaganda-based, almost like a conspiracy theory type of pamphlet,” he said. “Some information in regards to Ponzi schemes, and the fact that some of our local educational institutions are a front for the mob.”
The man’s writings or comments did not seem to be directly tied to Trump or his trial, officials said.
An examination of Azzarello’s social media postings and arrest records appeared to show he was unattached to any political party suggest the self-immolation stemmed from beliefs in conspiracy theories and paranoia which worsened following the death of his mother in 2022, the New York Times reported.
Just before Azzarello’s act, a full jury of 12 people and six alternates had been chosen in Trump’s trial, in which the former president is charged with 34 felonies for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to prevent the story from affecting his 2016 presidential campaign.
He has pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts.
