Florida man, who set himself ablaze near NY court during Trump trial, dies

A man named Max Azzarello from Florida died on Saturday (Apr 20) after setting himself on fire outside the New York court, a day earlier, the same building where former US President Donald Trump was on trial.According to the police, Azzarello, born in 1987, wasn't targeting the former US president or anyone else involved in the trial.

The man opened his bag and threw pamphlets, which read “evil billionaires” and “expose this corruption”, before setting himself ablaze with an alcohol-based substance. Everyone around tried to save the man by using their coats as well as fire extinguishers.

As the investigation is ongoing into the incident, the police are looking at him as a "conspiracy theorist."

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The man was from St Augustine, Florida, and recently travelled to New York. After the incident, he was rushed to Cornell Burn Unit.However, he succumbed to the critical injuries he sustained.Authorities confirmed that the man had not violated any security measures to enter the Collect Pond Park opposite the court. In response to the incident, authorities are reassessing security procedures. They are also contemplating closing access to the park where the incident occurred.

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As far as the security of the former US president is concerned, entry and exit from the court building that Trump uses is restricted to all individuals, media reports said.At the time of the incident, many journalists were present outside the court building covering the updates on the Trump trial.

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Accounts from those who were present at the site of the incident were disturbing. One reporter said, “I see a totally charred human being" while another witness said. “At that point, I said, ‘Oh shoot, what am I going to see?’”

Azzarello's former classmate Steven Waldman told a media outlet, "He was super curious about social justice and the way things 'could' be." "He was a good friend and person and cared about the world."

Moreover, the property manager at Azzarello's apartment building, Larry Altman termed him an "extremely nice person."

Trump's hush money case

This comes as a jury is scheduled to listen to opening statements in Trump's trial on Monday (Apr 22). The trial is related to Donald Trump's alleged falsified bank records as part of his attempt to hide his purported affair with Stormy Danielsfrom voters at the time of the 2016 election. The former president allegedly paid Daniels hush money and forged records to cover that up.

(With inputs from agencies)