Aaron Bushnell a Christian by religion was an active-duty member of the US Air Force who recently set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC as seen in a viral video, find out more about him and the incident below
The shocking incident has sparked a joint investigation between local police and the Secret Service.
Who is Aaron Bushnell as US Air Force soldier sets himself on fire in viral full video, bio, age, family, parents and religion
RIP Aaron Bushnell, you will always be remembered 💔🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/UCUUOMzKog
— Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis (@DrLoupis) February 26, 2024
AARON BUSHNELL AND RACHEL CORRIE
Two American souls, lost in the pursuit of truth amidst the turmoil of Palestine.
May their light shine on, even as their voices are silenced. pic.twitter.com/9RtM4crYzS
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) February 26, 2024
Notably, Aaron’s act comes amid ongoing protests, against the war between Palestinians and Israelis in Gaza.
Aaron Bushnell sets himself on fire
Aaron Bushnell, who was an active-duty member of the US Air Force, reportedly set himself on fire just outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, on Sunday. According to reports from the Air Force and local authorities, Aaron reportedly stated: “I will no longer be complicit in genocide,” before igniting himself. The tragic incident took place around 1:00 p.m. on the 3500 block of International Drive, NW.
After arriving at the scene, Aaron proceeded to douse himself with liquid before reaching for his lighter. While doing this, unidentified law enforcement officers were heard asking him off-screen, Can I help you?” following which he set himself on fire while repeatedly shouting “Free Palestine.”
The Secret Service officers present at the scene quickly extinguished Aaron before transporting him to a local hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital in a critical condition, he later succumbed to his injuries. Following the incident, the Israeli Embassy confirmed that no embassy staff were injured in the incident. Authorities are currently carrying out a widespread investigation into the shocking incident.
A US soldier named Aaron Bushnell went to the Israeli embassy in Washington, stood outside, and set himself on fire in protest against the holocaust in Gaza. He was yelling "free Palestine" several times until his last breath. pic.twitter.com/UnAsjma2jH
— Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) February 26, 2024
Aaron Bushnell bio
Aaron Bushnell was an active member of the US Air Force, and according to his LinkedIn account, he had been in the Air Force since May 2020. He worked as a client systems technician in IT management after being educated in cybersecurity.
He later worked as a DevOps engineer for the USAF and was based in San Antonio, Texas, at the time of his death. Aside from his work in the AirForce, Aaron was pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in software engineering at Southern New Hampshire University. Aaron was also looking for SkillBridge programs so that he could transfer his skills into software engineering.
He was raised in a devout Christian family and even worked for Paraclete Press, a Christian book and music publisher based in Massachusetts where his mother still works.
Aaron Bushnell, 25, was an ‘aspiring engineer’ and seeking to ‘transition out of the military’ and was hospitalized in critical condition on Sunday after he doused himself in accelerant and struck a lighter, causing his body to become consumed by flames.
A message to the world
As people rushed to try and save his life, an Israeli embassy agent held a gun fixed on Aaron Bushnell following his self-immolation.
pic.twitter.com/apVD0joXUH— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) February 26, 2024
Before carrying out his self-immolation, Aaron Bushnell reportedly sent out a message to various media outlets stating:
Today, I am planning to engage in an extreme act of protest against the genocide of the Palestinian people.”
Moreover, he carried out a live-streaming of the entire act on Twitch, which has since been removed for guideline violations.
While walking up towards the embassy, Bushnell chanted
I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I’m about to engage in an extreme act of protest. But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.”
Back in December of last year, a similar event occurred when a person set themselves on fire just outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta. Amidst these protests, Israel is still currently engaged in a military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. The ongoing conflicts started off after a series of attacks by the Palestinian Islamist group.
According to reports from Israeli authorities, Hamas has so far killed over 1,200 people in Israel. The group also seized around 253 hostages during a cross-border attack back on October 7. Meanwhile, the Israeli forces have launched a military campaign in Gaza in retaliation. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, Israeli forces have killed over 30,000 people. Aaron Bushnell was protesting against these deaths.
The final post of Aaron Bushnell: pic.twitter.com/iD22PHmBde
— Tiberius (@ecomarxi) February 26, 2024