During the Burning Man festival, held in Black Rock City, Nevada, a man was found in a “pool of blood,” deceased, all while the “Man” wooden effigy began to burn. Local authorities are investigating the incident as a homicide.
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According to a press release issued by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred on August 30. At around 9:14 p.m., as the “Man” began to burn, one PCSO deputy was flagged down by an event attendee, saying they had found a man “lying in a pool of blood.”
PCSO deputies and Bureau Land Management (BLM) Rangers responded to the scene. They found the man lying on the ground, described as “obviously deceased.” Promptly, PCSO deputies, BLM Rangers, and the festival’s Black Rock Rangers created a perimeter around the area, triggering an investigation.
Shortly after the discovery, the Washoe County Office’s Forensic Science Division arrived at the scene. They began processing the evidence and collecting it. Interviews were carried out by law enforcement agents, and the incident is being investigated as a homicide.
Currently, the identity of the deceased man is unknown, and his body has been transported to the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Ongoing Investigation
No further information has been released regarding the incident. However, the PCSO will share more details “as appropriate.”
The PCSO mentioned the need for communication and the preservation of the investigation’s integrity. Authorities added that it is complicated, given that the “city” in which it happened “will be gone by the middle of the week.”
“Although this act appears to be a singular crime, all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances,” the PCSO said.
In an August 31 release issued by the Burning Man Project, they detailed that they are fully cooperating with law enforcement. They added, “The safety and well-being of our community are paramount.”
The Burning Man is a week-long festival that gathers thousands each year for wilderness camping combined with art demonstrations. The main attraction is the burning of the “Man” effigy.
This incident is the latest of reported deaths that have occurred at the festival. The most notorious of them all happened in 2018. According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, Aaron Joel Mitchell, a 41-year-old man, ran into the Burning Man effigy. The effigy began to burn and, as a result, the flames burned Mitchell to death.