A disturbing video of a man burning in Times Square is circulating the internet after he was set on fire. The 45-year-old victim was filmed by motorists and bystanders along a busy stretch near West 41st Street and 7th Avenue. The unsettling incident occurred early Sunday morning, and in the video shared, the man is standing along the sidewalk with flames on his body.
The raw audio captures an observer’s astonishment at what appears to be a delay in the response by first responders. Seconds later, the officials surrounding him extinguish the flames while the man shows no reaction to being on fire.
The victim is later seen shirtless and visibly injured, with burns covering his face, neck, chest, and arms. He is seen being carefully escorted by a firefighter toward an awaiting ambulance. Inside the ambulance, the video vividly shows the man’s charred skin while he is being attended to. The video was shared on WorldStarHipHop on March 23.
The police have launched a manhunt for a suspect linked to the incident, ABC News reported. The news outlet shared that the suspect set the man on fire around 4 a.m.; after the officials put out the fire, the man was transported to a local hospital. He was reported to be in stable condition.
ABC News noted that while law enforcement has not released further details, the investigation remains ongoing, with authorities determined to bring the perpetrator to justice.
A similar incident occurred in December in New Jersey, involving a woman being set on fire on a subway train, underscoring ongoing concerns about public safety. The victim, 57-year-old Debrina Kawam, was reportedly sleeping while riding a New York subway train.
The train had stopped at a Brooklyn station in Coney Island when the suspect, 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, set her on fire and fanned the flames. Kawam died from her injuries, and Zapeta was charged with both murder and arson, to which he pleaded not guilty.
