A man lit himself on fire in a park near the White House on May 29 in Washington, said the U.S. Secret Service.
A large emergency response ensued after the incident, which took place on The Ellipse.
“At approximately 12:20 p.m. a man lit himself on fire on the Ellipse near 15th and Constitution Ave., Secret Service personnel are on scene assisting @NatlParkService and @usparkpolicepio in rendering first aid,” the Secret Service confirmed.
On Twitter, a man said that his daughter saw the alleged self-immolation, saying the person was running through the park before he set himself alight.
“According to my daughter...she just saw a person that was on fire running across the White House lawn. Police and rescue have responded. They’re closing all surrounding streets right now. Video to follow,” Krisjan Berzins tweeted.
There was no immediate word on the man’s condition. The incident unfolded after 12 p.m. ET.
Video footage of incident shot from the distance show a man who appeared to be engulfed in flames.
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