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Devout Buddhist and climate activist Wynn Alan Bruce, 50, set himself on fire in front of supreme court to bring attention to climate crisis.

By Bevan Hurley, Independent

A climate activist has died 24 hours after setting himself on fire on the steps of the Supreme Court on Earth Day.

Colorado photojournalist Wynn Alan Bruce, 50, suffered critical injuries in the incident at 6.30pm Friday on a plaza in front of the court. He was airlifted to hospital, where he died Saturday.

Wynn Alan Bruce

Capitol Police, Supreme Court police, and DC police all responded to the incident.

“A medical helicopter just landed near the Capitol for a medical emergency. This is not a public safety issue,” Capitol Police tweeted.

Mr Bruce ran a portrait photo studio in Boulder, and his social media account was filled with posts about the environment and Buddhism.

He also left a cryptic post on his Facebook page with a fire emoji and the date of his death 4/22/2022. The post appears to have been edited a few days before his death.

Dr K. Kritee, a Buddhist priest from Boulder, wrote on Twitter that Mr Bruce had been planning to self-immolate for at least a year.

“This guy was my friend. He meditated with our sangha,” she said.

“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.”

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