Former Cape Cod student's self-immolation draws response from schools, community

Denise Coffey, Cape Cod Times
·4 min read
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The death of former Nauset Public Schools student Aaron Bushnell on Monday drew words of sympathy from school officials for his family and friends.

Bushnell, 25, was an active duty U.S. Air Force member. He set himself on fire Sunday afternoon in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. after declaring he "will no longer be complicit in genocide." First responders took him to a hospital where he later died, the Metropolitan Police Department confirmed on Monday.

Bushnell attended Orleans Elementary School in Orleans from 2003 to 2007, and he attended Nauset Regional High School in North Eastham from 2013 to 2014, according to Nauset Regional School Committee member Christopher Easley.

“The Nauset Public Schools is heartbroken to learn of the untimely death of one of our former students, Aaron Bushnell," the school district wrote in a statement.

The school community is saddened by Mr. Bushnell’s death and "we offer our condolences to his family and friends,” the school statement said.

The four-town public school district on Cape Cod includes Brewster, Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet.

From 2015 to 2017, Bushnell worked full-time at Paraclete Press in Brewster, according to his LinkedIn account. The company is a publisher of sacred music, videos and books reflecting Christian belief and practice, according to its website. The company calls itself a “publishing house of a Cape Cod Benedictine community, the Community of Jesus.”

A vigil was held Tuesday in Times Square in Manhattan, New York, for Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old service member of the U.S. Air Force, who died following an act of self-immolation to protest U.S. involvement in Israel's large-scale military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
A vigil was held Tuesday in Times Square in Manhattan, New York, for Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old service member of the U.S. Air Force, who died following an act of self-immolation to protest U.S. involvement in Israel's large-scale military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

A woman in customer service for the press, who declined to provide her name, said Wednesday the company does not give out information about work history when she was asked to confirm Bushnell’s employment.

“We just need to honor the family’s privacy,” she said.

Bushnell was never a Community of Jesus member, attorney Jeffrey Robbins said on Wednesday.

"The Community isn’t going to have any comment about that," Robbins said.

In publicly available records, Bushnell is associated with a property in Orleans and a property in Whitman. The property in Orleans is owned by David and Danielle Bushnell, according to town property records. A reporter knocked on the door of home on Tuesday seeking comment but there was no answer.

No one came to the door on Tuesday at a home in Orleans associated with Aaron Bushnell. The 25-year-old set himself on fire on Sunday in Washington, D.C. and died Monday of his injuries.
No one came to the door on Tuesday at a home in Orleans associated with Aaron Bushnell. The 25-year-old set himself on fire on Sunday in Washington, D.C. and died Monday of his injuries.

The Air Force confirmed on Monday that Bushnell is an active duty member and was a cyber defense operations specialist with the 531st Intelligence Support Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio Lackland, Texas. He has served on active duty since May 2020.

On Sunday Bushnell began livestreaming to Twitch as he approached the embassy, a person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss the details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Officials believe Bushnell started the stream, set his phone on the ground, poured liquid over himself, and lit himself on fire. The video was removed from Twitch, but a copy was obtained and reviewed by investigators.

The Metropolitan Police Department said in an email that it is aware of the video but "is not confirming the authenticity of this video as it is part of the investigation."

College studies at Southern New Hampshire University

Bushnell studied computer science at the University of Maryland Global Campus from January to November 2023, according to his LinkedIn account.

He studied for a bachelor of science in computer software engineering at Southern New Hampshire University, according to the account.

The university confirmed Wednesday that Bushnell enrolled online in 2023 to pursue a bachelor of science in computer science, Siobhan Lopez, Assistant Director of Media Relations at the university, said.

"He took courses online August-October 2023 and had pre-registered for the upcoming term starting next week. We are deeply saddened by the news of Aaron's passing and the SNHU community sends its deepest condolences to Aaron's family and friends," Lopez said.

Bushnell's LinkedIn interests included a federal program that helped eligible households afford broadband services, a newsletter about navigating the military transition and a site that connected veterans with employers and offered job tips.

The LinkedIn account said it had “been memorialized as a tribute to Aaron Bushnell’s professional legacy.”

Rev. Katherine Black, pastor of Union Christian Church in Truro, said she thought the story of Bushnell’s actions was important for several reasons. “I think he was probably thinking about how many lives have been lost in this conflict,” she said Tuesday. “Nobody seems to be paying attention. He wanted to get their attention. He was willing to give his life.”

Denise Coffey writes about business, tourism and issues impacting Cape Cod's residents and visitors. Contact her at dcoffey@capecodonline.com.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Family of former Orleans student Aaron Bushnell offered condolences