Man reportedly sets himself ablaze outside of Trump’s New York trial
A man set himself on fire outside the Manhattan courthouse where former President Trump is accused of falsifying business records, police said. The incident occurred Friday afternoon as Trump’s trial entered its fourth day. Eyewitnesses said they saw the man in flames in the park opposite the courthouse.
CNN reporters were broadcasting live when the incident occurred. “Chaos continues,” said CNN anchor Laura Coates, describing the scene as “I can smell the workers being used.” “His body prevented him from falling back into the flames,” he added. “People climbed over the barricade to separate the public from this man.”
Police later identified him as Maxwell Azzarello of St. Augustine, Florida, who arrived in New York this week. Police say his condition is critical. They did not give Azzarillo’s exact age, but said he was born in 1987.
An employee and a witness at the scene also told reporters that Azarillo titled the broadcast “conspiracy theory” before the incident. One of the articles is titled “The True History of the World (Haunted Carnival Edition)” and is about an “evil billionaire.”
It was not immediately clear if his actions were directly related to the Trump trial.
Politico reporter Emily Ngo said that police appeared to have trouble initially reaching Azzarello due to the barricades placed around the park.
Numerous security measures were taken to protect the court during the hearing. Trump is facing criminal charges internally regarding payments he allegedly made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. This case is the first criminal trial of a US president in US history. Journalists from all over the world gathered in court during the hearing.
Writing on social media platform X, Ngo described the fire incident as “very scary, good job.” He wrote about Azzarillo, “When he was taken out, he responded, but he was very, very badly burned. The body was burned.”
Witnesses at the scene said Trump supporters surrounded him when he shot himself. They explode as the fire burns. Azarillo is taken away on a stretcher. A backpack and gasoline were also found at the scene.
Jury selection was completed shortly before the incident. Trump’s trial, involving 12 justices and six alternates, has set the stage for opening statements next week. The jury consisted of a sales professional, a software engineer, an English teacher and a lawyer.
Prosecution and defense attorneys spent the day questioning hundreds of New Yorkers to determine whether they could serve on a fair and impartial jury. Dozens of jurors were dismissed, saying they did not believe they could meet the standard. The judge ruled that the names of the jurors were known only to the attorneys, Trump and his legal team.
