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Airman who set himself on fire in protest outside Israeli Embassy had ties to Massachusetts
Aaron Bushnell, 25, attended a school in Orleans and was a student at Southern New Hampshire University.
The 25-year-old active duty Air Force member who set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. reportedly had ties to Massachusetts.
Aaron Bushnell, of San Antonio, Texas, said he “will no longer be complicit in genocide” before he doused himself in accelerant and set himself ablaze, the Associated Press reported. He streamed the incident on Twitch, and in the video, which was later removed from the platform, he can be heard saying “Free Palestine.”
Bushnell died due to his injuries.
Bushnell spent about five years in school on the Cape, according to reports. He attended Nauset Public Schools in Orleans from 2003 through 2007 and from 2013 through 2014, WCVB reported.
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“The Nauset Public Schools is heartbroken to learn of the untimely death of one of our former students, Aaron Bushnell,” the statement said, according to WCVB. “Our school community is saddened by Mr. Bushnell’s death and we offer our condolences to his family and friends.”
The Air Force member was also enrolled at Southern New Hampshire University, where he was pursuing a degree in computer science.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of Aaron’s passing and the SNHU community sends its deepest condolences to Aaron’s family and friends,” SNHU said in a statement.
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