Man, 33, who set himself on fire outside the White House while wearing a USA t-shirt dies in hospital after suffering burns to 85 per cent of his body
- WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
- Arnav Gupta is the man who was filmed setting himself on fire on Wednesday
- The 33-year-old had been reported missing by his family earlier that day
- He died in the hospital after suffering burns to 85 percent of his body
- Disturbing video footage showed him calmly walking across Ellipse park then setting himself on fire
- US Secret Service Agents put out the blaze and took him to the hospital
The man who set himself on fire on a lawn near the White House on Wednesday has died in the hospital after suffering burns to 85 percent of his body.
Arnav Gupta, 33, was identified by US Park Police on Thursday after dying in the hospital.
He had been reported missing by his family around the time that he was seen setting himself on fire on a lawn at Ellipse Park near the White House.
Gupta was from Bethesda, Maryland. His motive for the deadly stunt remains unclear.
He was reported missing by his family after leaving his home at 9.20am. Three hours later, he was filmed setting himself on fire.
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Arnav Gupta, 33, was identified by US Park Police on Thursday after dying in the hospital
A man set himself on fire Wednesday near the White House with disturbing footage showing him engulfed in flames, the Secret Service said. Shockingly, the unidentified individual managed to stand upright before security ran towards him to extinguish the flames
The Secret Service was not immediately available for more information on Thursday morning.
Video of the incident showed him walking calmly across the Ellipse near the Washington Mall, an area popular with tourists, with flames covering his body.
Several seconds later, U.S. Secret Service staff could be seen towards him with a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze.
It occurred less than a mile from the White House.
He managed to stand upright before officials got to him, amid reports that he was wearing a protective suit which would have given him some protection from the flames.
Gupta suffered burns on 85 percent of his body and there was a suspicious package on fire near him which was also extinguished, according to TMZ.
He was later transported to a nearby hospital with 'life threatening' injuries.
More than 70 officers flocked to the scene from multiple agencies. Several tourists and visitors were in the vicinity, but there were no other injuries reported.
National Park Service police and the U.S. Secret Service officers also assisted at the scene to try and establish what happened in Washington D.C.
White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said he could not immediately comment.
According to his official schedule, Donald Trump was in the Oval Office at the time for a ceremonial swearing-in of the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
A spokesman for the National Park Service, which maintains the White House grounds, told DailyMail.com: 'At 12:22 p.m., officers from the United States Park Police and United States Secret Service responded to a report of an adult male who reportedly lit himself on fire on the Ellipse near 15th and Constitution Avenue.
He later drops to the ground as he doused with a fire extinguisher to put out the fire
His motive is not known but it is understood he was transported to a nearby hospital
National Park Service police were seen rendering medical aid to him a short time later
'USSS personnel extinguished the fire within seconds. The individual was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
'The incident is under investigation. No additional information is available at this time.'
A spokesman for the Washington Fire Department said: 'I can confirm that we've transported one patient with burns from the Ellipse and we're now on the scene assisting law enforcement.'
The Ellipse is a 52-acre park located south of the White House fence and north of Constitution Avenue and the National Mall.
There have been several security incidents in recent years in the vicinity of the White House, due in part to its location in the middle of D.C., with a number of streets approaching it.
On April 12, a man in a wheelchair-type electric scooter lit his jacket on fire outside the White House fence.
That man was hospitalized with what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries.
Crews are due to begin work on installing a larger fence around the White House as part of security improvements beginning this summer.
The existing fence will be replaced with a structure that will be about 13 feet tall, an increase of about five feet.
Visitors and tourists were seen around the White House, unaware that visitors and tourists were seen around the White House, unaware that a man set himself alight near a security cabin which allows authorized staff to park in a car pack near the South lawn
The Secret Service confirmed the incident happened and said they are investigating
Visitors and tourists were seen around the White House, unaware that a man set himself alight near a security cabin which allows authorized staff to park in a car park on Pennsylvania Ave
A large plume of smoke could be seen where security staff put out the fire and helped him
Ambulances and police cars are seen parked south of the White House at the Ellipse
National Park Service police and the U.S. Secret Service officers assisted at the scene to try and establish what happened and his motivation for the shocking incident
