Man Lit Himself On Fire In Front Of Supreme Court In Apparent Earth Day Climate Change Protest

Earth Day is an annual day to bring awareness to climate change and environmental matters. A man set himself on fire in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington D.C. on Earth Day in what appears to be a move to protest climate change, judging by his social media posts.

The police identified the man as Wynn Bruce, 50, of Boulder, Colorado. He reportedly died of his injuries after being airlifted to a hospital following the incident. The court said through CBS News that the man set himself on fire in the plaza in front of the Supreme Court building.

Although the outlet did not disclose the man’s motivation for setting himself on fire, it appears to be due to climate change.

On Friday, U.S. Capitol Police tweeted, “A medical helicopter just landed near the Capitol for a medical emergency. This is not a public safety issue.” They also closed two roads due to a medical emergency.

One user, Rebecca Field, shared a Facebook screenshot of Wynn Alan Bruce’s Facebook account, which showed him sharing a post titled “Climate Change: The Science and Global Impact.” In the comments, Wynn apparently wrote 4-1-1[fire-emoji]4/22/2022.”

Another post showed that the comment had an edit history. Although they made the initial post “4-1-1” on April 20, 2021, they added the fire emoji on October 19, and the date of his death, which fell on Earth Day, on April 2, only twenty days before his death.

New York Times bestselling author Steve Silverman also looked into the details surrounding the man’s death.

On Saturday, he tweeted, “Just found what I think is Wynn Bruce's FB profile, and it's heartbreaking. He was a #Shambhala Buddhist disturbed about climate change, posting photos of Thich Nhat Hanh and other teachers. May those who loved him find peace.”

Another user quoted: “Thich Nhat Hanh: ‘Burning themselves aimed only at alarming, at moving the hearts of the oppressors, and at calling the attention of the world to the suffering endured then by the Vietnamese. To burn oneself by fire is to prove that what one is saying is of the utmost importance.’”

Another commented, “This is so sad. Wynn Bruce was a part of the online sangha that I frequent. I only know his spirit and it was full of Metta. Wynn Bruce, Wynn Bruce, Wynn Bruce. Thank you for caring so much and for gracing the world with your presence.”