Man set on fire at Times Square, police still pursuing suspect

In the early hours of Sunday, a shocking attack took place at Times Square in New York City, where a man was doused with a flammable substance and set on fire, sustaining severe burns all over his body. The perpetrator is currently being pursued by law enforcement.

According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the incident occurred before 4 a.m. on Sunday at the intersection of West 41st Street and 7th Avenue. Police received reports of a person being set on fire.

Firefighters at the scene reported that the assailant poured a flammable substance on the victim at the intersection of West 41st Street and Broadway and set him on fire. The victim ran westward for about 100 feet until a passerby jumped out of a car and used a dry chemical fire extinguisher to put out the flames on the victim’s body. Firefighters and paramedics arrived quickly to extinguish the fire and transport the victim into an ambulance.

Videos circulating online show the 45-year-old victim, shirtless and suffering from severe burns all over his body, lying in agony inside the ambulance, surrounded by paramedics providing aid.

Employees at a nearby restaurant, speaking to the New York Post, mentioned that they often saw the victim walking around the area when he came to work in the morning.

The victim was taken to New York Presbyterian Cornell Hospital for treatment, where his condition is currently stable.

Authorities have indicated that it is not yet clear whether the attack was a deliberate targeting of the victim or a random act of violence. The suspect fled north along Broadway after the attack, and authorities are reviewing surveillance cameras from nearby businesses to identify the individual responsible.