A Memphis, Tennessee, man set himself on fire on Facebook Live before running inside a crowded bar early Saturday and later died of severe burns at a hospital, authorities said Sunday.
“It was the most horrific thing I’ve seen,” witness Kim Koehler, who watched the man, identified as Jared McLemore, a local musician, run inside Murphy’s Bar, told NBC affiliate WMC.
Memphis police called it a suicide.
The video shows McLemore seated while he pours kerosene all over his body. He then lights himself on fire and runs off screen.
Witnesses said McLemore was on fire from head to foot when he ran inside the bar, where his ex-girlfriend worked. One man inside was burned after he tried to kick the lighter out of McLemore’s hands and was taken to a hospital, where he’s expected to make a full recovery.
Koehler said McLemore targeted Murphy’s because his ex-girlfriend worked there.
Court records show that McLemore threatened to kill his ex and was sentenced to probation on domestic assault charges last month.
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“He believed that suicide would be the ultimate revenge on her,” Koehler, who knows the woman, an audio engineer, told WMC.
The community raised more than $18,000 for the woman so she could attend trauma therapy and replace her audio equipment — which was damaged in the fire.
“No one knows how devastating this is for family to see on video and being reminded over and over in social media,” McLemore’s family said in a statement.
“Jared was our child, brother, nephew, cousin and friend and we loved him immensely,” the family said. “He has been struggling with bipolar disorder for 19 years and was in active treatment. Please let him rest in peace.”
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg announced last week that he would be hiring 3,000 human moderators to his 4,500-strong team because of the recent spate of violent and abusive content appearing on Facebook Live, including murder and torture.
