A climate activist who allegedly set himself on fire outside the U.S. Supreme Court seemed to allude to his death on social media, the New York Post reported Saturday.
Wynn Bruce, a 50-year-old activist from Colorado, set himself on fire Friday around 6:30 p.m. on the plaza in front of the Supreme Court, police said, according to the New York Post. Although he was taken to the hospital following the incident, he died Saturday, the outlet reported. In addition, Bruce is believed to have made a Facebook post back in 2020 alluding to the date and manner of his death.
The post, which the outlet noted was shared by an individual named Wynn Alan Bruce, features a link to a course about climate change. The post also includes a comment with the dates “4-1-1 to 4-22-2022,” with a fire emoji in between, according to the outlet.
Dr. Kritee Kanko, a climate scientist, Zen Buddhist, and supposed friend of Bruce’s said his actions were not “a suicide,” but rather a way to bring attention to the climate crisis, according to the Daily Beast. (RELATED: Watch As Man Reportedly Sets Himself On Fire Over Vaccine Mandate)
Kanko shared an article mentioning Bruce to her Twitter feed Sunday, writing, “[Bruce] was my friend. He meditated with our sangha. This act is not a suicide. This is a deeply fearless act of compassion to bring attention to [the] climate crisis.”
This guy was my friend. He meditated with our sangha. This act is not suicide. This is a deeply fearless act of compassion to bring attention to climate crisis. We are piecing together info but he had been planning it for atleast one year. #wynnbruce I am so moved. https://t.co/bHoRaLK6Fr
— Dr. K. Kritee (@KriteeKanko) April 24, 2022
“We are piecing together info but he had been planning it for atleast [sic] one year,” Kanko later added. “#wynnbruce I am so moved.”
The incident involving Bruce occurred the same day as a shooting in D.C. where four people were wounded before the suspect died of an alleged self-inflicted wound, according to CBS News.