Jared McLemore, 33, may have been taking revenge on his former girlfriend when he poured kerosene over his body and set himself on fire. Even worse? He streamed the whole thing on Facebook Live for the world to see.
Facebook Live has recently seen some brutal and awful incidents streamed online for everyone to see, including rapes, murders, and people publicly committing suicide. The latest live tragedy involves McLemore, who hails from Memphis, who who decided to end it all via Facebook's live stream. Anyone who saw the live video may have trouble getting the images out of their minds.
McLemore poured kerosene over his body and set himself alight in a bid to commit suicide.
Facebook Live of man who died after setting himself on fire creates social media concerns https://t.co/8iNFWhLQqo via @3onyourside
— Sherry Heater (@redchevymomma) May 14, 2017
McLemore sets himself ablaze and runs into a bar
After the flames were lit, McLemore ran into a Midtown bar, which was packed with people. Kimberly Koehler, was in the bar that night and reportedly knew McLemore. She told Fox 13 Memphis that she watched McLemore run into the bar, his entire body ablaze, and said it looked like something out of a movie.
Several people in the bar initially thought it was a joke. However once everyone realized what was really happening, people threw coats and blankets over the burning man in an attempt to put out the flames.
McLemore was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but later died from his injuries.
McLemore’s girlfriend placed restraining order against him
As reported by News Channel 3, it turns out the McLemore's ex-girlfriend, Alyssa Moore, recently had a restraining order placed against him. He then chose to end his life, streaming the incident live to anyone watching on Facebook Live.
His ex-girlfriend identified him to police after he committed suicide on Facebook Live. McLemore reportedly had a history of domestic violence and had threatened to kill Moore in the past.
Turning Point CEO Bobby Scott said that some people do this kind of thing as a way to memorialize themselves. For others, it is a cry for help — they hope someone will be watching on Facebook Live and will stop them in time.
In McLemore’s case, Scott believes the man was trying to punish his ex-girlfriend. Scott states that while Facebook Live in itself is not a bad thing until someone shares a horrific scene while others are watching online, something that has a "dramatic and negative” impact on anyone watching that live footage.
