A man set himself on fire outside Israeli Embassy in D.C., now in critical condition : NPR

A man is in critical condition after setting himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Sunday afternoon, according to multiple law enforcement agencies.

The U.S. Secret Service said it was responding to reports of an individual experiencing a possible medical or mental health emergency. Local police arrived around 1 p.m. ET.

The fire has since been extinguished. The Israeli Embassy in D.C. said none of its staff were injured.

Vito Maggiolo, a spokesperson for D.C. Fire and EMS, said the man has been transported to the hospital, where he has “critical life threatening injuries.”

The Air Force said the man was an active duty airman.

As of Sunday evening, NPR was not able to independently verify the man’s identity or motives.

Andrew Leyden, a freelance journalist based in D.C., told NPR he saw burn marks near the Israeli Embassy’s lawn, where the embassy had placed flags to represent the hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Lynn Sweet, the Washington bureau chief at the Chicago Sun-Times, wrote on X that there was a growing police presence outside the Israeli Embassy earlier in the afternoon, including local law enforcement searching a vehicle out of “precaution.”

The Metropolitan Police Department said the vehicle possibly connected to the individual has been cleared of any hazardous material.

This is a developing story.