Atlanta’s Capital Square became a crime scene Tuesday when a man described by authorities as a “disgruntled” Air Force veteran stormed from his parked car strapped with incendiary devices and set himself on fire, authorities said.
The unidentified man, 58, was transported to Grady Hospital and managed to tell first responders that he wanted to kill himself out of anger with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Georgia State Patrol Capt. Mark Perry told reporters.
“He did indicate he is disgruntled with the V.A. system and he was seeking attention for that,” Perry said.
The man pulled up to the fortified area at around 10:45 a.m. and walked across the street “strapped with some homemade incendiary devices and firecrackers,” Perry said.
The man, who served in the Air Force, then “doused himself with some kind of flammable liquid and attempted to set himself on fire,” Perry added.
Almost immediately, Perry noted, a Georgia State Patrol trooper “saw what was happening” and ran over with an extinguisher to smother the flames.
The man’s car remained parked and “out of an abundance of caution” the Capital and Judiciary buildings were evacuated so the bomb squad can search for “any other explosive devices.”
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