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Today, chaos unfolded outside of the Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump’s trial is taking place. The former president has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in relation to the alleged $130K payment he’s accused of making to adult actress Stormy Daniels. Allegedly, the payment was made in exchange for Daniels’ silence on an alleged affair, which Trump denies.

Around the time that the jury was empaneled, and just before a lunch break, a man set himself on fire outside of the courthouse. The man was reportedly located in a designated protest area when the act took place, and several witnesses looked on in horror. At the time of writing, it remains unclear whether or not this was directly related to Trump or the trial. Law enforcement sources tell NBC News that the man appeared to be an alleged follower of unspecified conspiracy theories and that he may have also been struggling with “emotional issues.”

Chaos Unfolds Outside Of Donald Trump’s Trial

(Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

A 73-year-old witness named Dave from the Upper West Side saw the shocking incident unfold, and says he watched the man throw various pamphlets before picking them back up again. “I heard this clattering,” he recalled. “That caught our attention. Then he pulled out a can.” From there, the man reportedly poured something on himself and took out a lighter. “There I thought, this could be awful,” Dave also explained. “I’m old enough to remember the Vietnam War.” According to Dave, the man then lit himself on fire and was quickly engulfed in flames.

Another witness, freelance photojournalist Ed Quinn, says he heard someone shout that the man was getting ready to start the fire. “I see him dumping gasoline on his face, very deliberately,” he described. “He had [a] gray t-shirt on. It soaked his face. It soaked his shirt. Boom, he went up.” According to NBC, the man was sent off in an ambulance in critical condition. What do you think of the latest development in Trump’s trial? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

[Via]