Max Azzarello dead: Florida man who self-immolated outside Trump trial after releasing bizarre manifesto succumbs to severe burns

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If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Social media was shocked after the death of conspiracy theorist Max Azzarello, who succumbed to severe burns after setting himself on fire outside the Manhattan courthouse where former President Donald Trump's hush money trial was taking place, the New York Post reports. 

Before the horrific event, Azzarello shared ominous predictions on his blog and posted a manifesto on his official Instagram account. He warned of an imminent apocalyptic scenario, envisioning a world overrun by fascist forces.

Max Azzarello's manifesto teased an impending fascist world coup

Florida native, Azzarello identified himself as an investigative researcher in a blog post just before he set himself on fire. He distributed flyers containing a link to his Substack account explaining his actions.

According to the Daily Mail, the manifesto was titled 'I have set myself on fire outside the Trump Trial.' He stated that his drastic protest aimed to shed light on what he perceived as a 'totalitarian con.'

In his manifesto, he warned of an impending "apocalyptic fascist world coup" by the government.

Azzarello apologized to his friends, family, witnesses, and first responders for the pain he caused, emphasizing that it paled in comparison to what he believed the government was planning.

He had traveled to New York City a week prior and indicated on Instagram that he would be staying at Washington Square Park.

Witnesses reported seeing Azzarello dousing himself with what appeared to be an alcohol-based accelerant before setting himself on fire. He sat quietly engulfed in flames, described by one witness as "pretty horrifying," according to the New York Post.

Laura Loomer, another conspiracy theorist covering Trump's trial in New York, mentioned that Azzarello had spent the week outside the courthouse with a sign stating, “Trump is with Biden and they’re about to fascist coup us.”

Azzarello had previously posted a video calling for revolution, which gained attention on X after it was shared by a user.

His Instagram posts mirrored his manifesto's sentiments. His final post featured images of his lengthy manifesto, 'The True History of the World,' also available on Substack. In another viral video, he sang about revolution, passionately urging others to join. He also shared his thoughts on cryptocurrency in another post.

Max Azzarello previously sued Clintons and Mark Zuckerberg

According to the Independent, Azzarello's driver's license indicated he was born in 1987 and hailed from St. Augustine, Florida. Public records and his LinkedIn profile reveal he was a registered Democrat who attended the University of North Carolina from 2005 to 2009.

In 2009, he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in anthropology and public policy. Three years later, in 2012, he completed his master's degree in city and regional planning at Rutgers University in New Jersey, as per the Daily Mail.

Florida authorities described him as suicidal and unemployed in police reports, as reported by the New York Post.

He is suspected to have arrived in New York sometime between April 13 and April 19, although his family members, who spoke to the police, claimed they were unaware of his presence in the city. The exact number of family members hasn't been disclosed.

Last year, he filed a lawsuit against several entities, including the Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, Binance, Peter Thiel, Mark Cuban, Richard Branson, and Mark Zuckerberg, among others.

According to the Daily Mail, his complaint alleges, "Each of the defendants has knowingly conspired, participated in, benefitted financially from a decades-long fraudulent scheme."

Internet users mourn Max Azzarello's death 

 A reader online wrote, "This is so tragic. he is at the age where a lot of psychiatric problems like schizophrenia develop. i believe the end of this life is not the end of ourselves so i sadly hope he doesn't survive this terrible nightmare. condolences to his family. and kindness and peace to those who witnessed it and those who dealt with the aftermath."

Another user wrote, "I am so sorry for his family and those who witnessed this. At the end of the day he accomplished nothing except extreme pain and heartbreak for himself and those who love him. Thank goodness he didn’t hurt anyone else."

A user commented, "Sorry he did that, won't help a thing. He's right about what's going on, though. Every American, no matter who they vote for, should be worried about this country's future when politics pretend to be justice."

Another user commented, "So, sad, this man should know that about 5 days after setting himself on fire, the world would move on, and him, setting himself on fire will be largely forgotten. There are more effective methods to incite positive change."

A user stated, "Everyone has a breaking point. My heart aches for this young man. I hope he finds peace."

Another user stated, "My condolences to his family and loved ones. Its so sad he got to this point in his life."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.