A man identified as Maxwell Azzarello set himself on fire Friday outside the court where Donald Trump is standing trial in Manhattan, with officers rushing to extinguish the flames.
The 37-year-old man is a resident of St Augustine, Florida.
Burning clothes were strewn in the park, which was locked down by authorities, while ambulances lined up nearby on standby.
It appears he arrived in New York sometime after the 13th and his family was unaware that he was here.Â
Officials do not believe that he was targeting any person or group.
For now, they believe Azzarello is a conspiracy theorist driven to this act by his views. His social media posts and the pamphlets he tossed out just ahead of the fire are the basis for this conclusion, but they said that the investigation is just beginning.
Azzarello is at hospital – alive and intubated – but in critical condition.
The scene unfolded moments after the full panel of 12 jurors and six alternates was selected for the trial of the former president in a hush money cover-up case.
The incident happened in a park opposite the 100 Centre Street courthouse, which has been used by authorities to corral protesters, both pro-Trump and anti-Trump, as well as by some members of the media
