Florida man, 30, sets himself on fire inside store, in critical condition

A 30-year-old Florida man reportedly set himself on fire inside a Plant City Publix Wednesday evening, May 29. He is now said to be in critical condition.

Florida man, 30, sets himself on fire inside store (Getty Images/iStockphoto – representational image)

The Plant City Police Department rushed to a disturbance at the Publix Supermarket shortly after 6:30 pm after a caller told them a man had set himself ablaze inside the store. The store is located in the Walden Woods Shopping Plaza at 2202 James L. Redman Parkway.

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Multiple people tried to help the man by putting out the flames as they waited for Plant City Fire Rescue’s arrival. He was eventually rushed to a nearby hospital. He is now listed in critical condition, according to WFLA.

The incident is being investigated by Plant City police and the Division of Investigative and Forensic Services. It is unclear what led to it.

Anyone with information on the incident has been urged to contact the Plant City Police Department at 813-757-9200.

How Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire

This incident reminds us of the death of Aaron Bushnell, who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, in February. The US Air Force member, like the Florida man, was initially in critical condition. However, he later succumbed to his injuries.

Bushnell, a 25-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, live streamed the horrific incident on Twitch. The video showed him walking up to the Israeli embassy and pouring a liquid all over himself, before setting himself on fire while repeatedly yelling “Free Palestine.”

Before the act, Bushnell posted on video explaining why he had planned to set himself ablaze. “My name is Aaron Bushnell, I am an active-duty member of the United States Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide,” he said. “I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonisers, it’s not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.”

Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).