A man set who set himself on fire on the National Mall and had to be airlifted to a hospital on Friday, has died of his injuries.
Officer Araz Alali says the man died Friday night at a Washington hospital where he had been airlifted.
He says the man was so badly burned that he will need to be identified through DNA and dental records.
Witnesses said the man poured liquid from a red gasoline container all over his body, faced in the direction of the United States Capitol, saluted, and set himself on fire.
Joggers in the area managed to respond to the man engulfed in flames and successfully extinguished his burning flesh with their shirts.
Moments later, police arrived, secured the scene, and called medics. Prior to being airlifted to a nearby hospital, the man was talking and managed to thank those who helped put out the flames. However, authorities said he suffered "life-threatening injuries."
One witness said she did not see the man holding any signs before he set himself ablaze and that there was another man with a tripod set up near him but did not mention if he was filming.
Lt. Pamela Smith of the U.S. Park Police, which is investigating along with the D.C. police department, said: "I'm not aware of any signage or any articulation of any causes."
