A 63-year-old man set himself on fire Friday inside the lobby of a downtown Manhattan building that houses Google offices, authorities said.
The incident occurred at 315 Hudson Street at about 2:58pm, the New York City Police Department told Our News Outlet.
Surveillance video appeared to show the man entering the building’s lobby moments before he became engulfed in flames, the New York Daily News reported.
Security staff at the building reportedly rushed to put out the fire before emergency responders took the man to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.
Sources told the outlet the flames are believed to have started from the man’s book bag and may have been fueled by lighter fluid.
The man reportedly did not speak during the incident and was not carrying any political leaflets.
Photos from the aftermath showed a scorched backpack near the curb outside the building, where Google leases more than 400,000 square feet of office space. Officials said the incident did not take place inside Google’s offices.
A building employee, who asked not to be named, told the outlet that surveillance footage showed the man had first entered the building around 2pm before leaving and later returning.
A 63-year-old man burst into flames inside a building that houses Google offices at 315 Hudson Street on Friday
The New York City Police Department set up a crime scene outside the building, pictured here on a separate day
He returned to the lobby about one hour later before suddenly exploding, the building worker said.
Another worker said he spotted ‘flames in the lobby’ from across the street.
‘Then the flames were running around the lobby, and security was trying to put him out,’ the second worker added.
Police found a collapsible baton inside the man’s bag, the Daily News reported.
The worker said a security guard had emerged from the building and thrown the burning backpack out on the street.
Meanwhile, the other guards helped the man with fire extinguishers.
‘When they brought him out, he was terribly burned, all wrapped in bandages,’ the worker told the outlet. ‘I don’t know if you want to live that way. It was terrible.’
The incident at the downtown Manhattan building, which also houses the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau is, happened shortly before 3pm on Friday
Google’s downtown Manhattan headquarters are at 550 Washington Street, a few blocks from where Friday’s incident happened (Photo of the building in January 2024)
A crime scene was set up outside the building by the NYPD after the incident, in which no one else was injured.
No arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing, police said.
A source told Our News Outlet that the incident occurred at a NYPD building on site. The NYPD would only confirm that it happened at 315 Hudson Street.
The police’s Internal Affairs Bureau building is housed at that address.
A spokesperson for Google told Our News Outlet: ‘We are aware of an incident that occurred today in the lobby at 315 Hudson, a building we share with other tenants.’
‘While the individual appeared to be seeking access to another tenant’s space in the building, we remain in close contact with local authorities,’ the statement continued. ‘We are grateful to first responders.’
Google’s downtown Manhattan headquarters are located at 550 Washington Street in the Hudson Square neighborhood, about a seven minute walk away from 315 Hudson.
Authorities have not shared any details about the man’s identity or motive.
This is a breaking news story. More to come.
