A man was found dead Saturday in a suspected homicide at the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert.
A man, identified as an adult Caucasian, was discovered “lying on the ground” and deceased after 9 p.m. on Saturday, according to a statement from the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday.
The incident took place while the “Man,” a large wooden effigy at the heart of the festival in Black Rock City, was set on fire. A festival-goer alerted a sheriff’s deputy, reporting someone “lying in a pool of blood,” as relayed by the sheriff’s office.
Deputies, together with Bureau of Land Management rangers and Burning Man Black Rock rangers, established a perimeter around the scene and conducted interviews with attendees.
Officials said the identity of the man is unknown, and the body has been transported to the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office.
“Even though this seems to be an isolated incident, everyone should remain aware of their environment and the people they meet,” stated the sheriff’s office.
Law enforcement officials are securing the crime scene, acknowledging the investigation’s complexity since the temporary city will be dismantled by midweek. The festival began on Aug. 24 and is scheduled to conclude on Monday.
Anyone with information regarding the homicide is asked to contact the sheriff’s office.
Burning Man said in a statement it is cooperating with law enforcement.
“Should you be in Black Rock City, please avoid obstructing law enforcement operations,” the festival organizers advised. “The safety and welfare of our community are of utmost importance.”
The festival said Black Rock rangers can offer peer support services at the ranger headquarters and outposts, and Black Rock City’s Emergency Services Department’s crisis support team is available 24/7 at stations.
Last week at the festival, which attracts tens of thousands of people from across the country, a woman “spontaneously” gave birth in an RV camper to her and her husband’s first child.
The baby was born Aug. 27. Mother Kayla Thompson told The New York Times she was asleep in the camper when she started experiencing a lot of “pain” and minutes later gave birth to a 3-pound, 9-ounce baby girl.
She said she didn’t appear pregnant and “didn’t have any symptoms” of pregnancy.
“Even the nurses at the hospital were like, ‘You don’t look like you were pregnant at all,’” she told the publication.
