A middle-aged man has died after self-immolating on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s notable hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection ended. Police officials have said that he did not appear to have been particularly targeting the ex-President.
The man had burned for several minutes in full glare of T.V cameras that were set up outside the courthouse.
NBC News and other U.S. media had said on Saturday morning that the man had died from injuries sustained, according to the hospital he had been taken to. The deceased had been in his late 30s.
Eyewitnesses had reported that the man had pulled pamphlets out of a backpack and threw them in the air before he doused himself with a liquid and set himself on fire.
The words on the pamphlets had included references to ‘evil billionaires’ but the portions that were visible to an eyewitness had not mentioned Trump.
The New York Police Department has already identified the kan as Max Azzarello of St. Augustine, Florida.
This surprising development had come shortly after jury selection for the trial was finished, clearing the way for prosecutors and defense attorneys to make opening statements on Monday in a case emanating from hush money paid to a porn star.
The court had adjourned the case for later this afternoon. More details to come shortly….
