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At 1:30 p.m., Azzarello, 36, walked into the center of a park near the courthouse, took out pamphlets containing conspiracy theories and propaganda from a backpack, and threw them in the air. Then, he took out an accelerant and lit himself on fire, NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maggi said.
Civilians and nearby officers extinguished the blaze and Azzarello was taken to the Cornell Burn Unit. According to the New York Times, Azzarello died hours later.
WHO WAS MAXWELL AZZARELLO?
Azzarello, 36, of St. Augustine, FL, called himself an "investigative researcher" and has been sharing his beliefs on social media. He appears to have summarized his theories in a manifesto that details cryptocurrency, COVID, and of course, the government.
His LinkedIn page shows he earned his master's degree at Rutger's University from 2010 to 2012. University officials confirmed to News12 that Azzarello earned a degree in urban planning and policy development. Daily Voice has reached out to university officials for comment.
Azzarello's LinkedIn page, in which his profile is an older photo of him with former President Bill Clinton, shows that he worked at several Philadelphia-based companies.
Azzarello listed Eigen X in King of Prussia and Goliath Technologies LP in Berwyn as previous employers. Daily Voice has reached out to both companies for verification of Azzarello's employment.
Azzarello posted photos of weddings and celebrations, old family photos, food, vacations, animals, and ballgames. In January 2022, he asked his Instagram followers if they knew anyone who wanted to take over his lease. He shared a postcard from his mom, addressed to a residence in Philadelphia in 2018.
Things appear to have taken a strange turn online for Azzarello in 2022 or 2023, sometime after the death of his mother. Azzarello turned his COVID vaccination card into a piece of artwork. He shared his thoughts on cryptocurrency. He even shared a video of himself singing "Start a f—ing revolution" to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
Still, some people jumped to Azzarello's defense.
"To everyone making fun of a man who has attempted and probably succeeded in taking his own life because of the intolerable despair he felt about the world," one person said on Instagram. "I hope that you are able one day to face your own pain and make choices about how to live in a way that makes the world a better place."
"This is an example of the demise of society," another added. "People are suffering and instead of love and compassion, they're made fun of and mocked. Our country is collapsing. What would you do if this was your brother, son, husband, partner, best friend, dad, etc? Where is the humanity?"
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