A ‘gentle soul’ whose mother’s death sent him into decline: How Max Azzarello came to set himself on fire outside Trump trial

Max Azzarello, 37, who died after setting himself on fire outside the Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump is on trial, had recently started posting anti-establishment conspiracy theories online, including a lengthy article on Substack which blasted politicians, and billionaires and even made reference to The Simpsons.

The manifesto-style document warned of an impending “apocalyptic fascist world coup.”

At 1.30pm ET on Friday 19 April, he entered a park outside the New York courthouse, where Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial is taking place, and set himself on fire. The horrific incident lasted several minutes before the flames were extinguished by police officers and court staff.

Police told NBC news that he was declared dead by the hospital after he was admitted with severe burn injuries. No time of death was given by the police.

His friends described Azzarello as a “gentle” and “very personable” man. Some struggled to see how his final act was committed by the person they once knew so well, while others noted how his mother’s death had seemed to leave an indelible mark, driving him to support conspiracy theories and go a “little haywire”.

In his lengthy post, Azzarello described himself as an “investigative researcher”.

Police said that his driver’s licence showed he was born in 1987 and was a native of St Augustine, Florida. A registered Democrat, he attended the University of North Carolina from 2005 to 2009, according to public records and his LinkedIn page. He then obtained his master’s degree in city and regional planning in 2012 from Rutgers.

Those close to Azzarello described his as kind, creative, and well-informed — albeit concerned — about the world.

Steven Waldman, Azzarello’s friend from high