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Man dies after setting himself on fire during Facebook Live stream

Jared McLemore was rushed to hospital in Memphis, Tennessee but died from severe burns

Monday 15 May 2017 22:08 BST
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Jared McLemore was an aspiring musician
Jared McLemore was an aspiring musician

A musician has died after setting himself on fire while live streaming his suicide on Facebook.

Jared McLemore was rushed to hospital in Memphis, Tennessee but died from severe burns soon after.

The 33-year-old doused himself in kerosene before turning a lighter on himself outside a crowded bar where his ex-girlfriend worked.

Frantic screams could be heard during the video and a man is seen trying to help Mr McLemore, the New York Daily News reported.

Reports have suggested McLemore mumbled “goodbye” to his ex-girlfriend, Alyssa Moore, who was a couple of feet away.

Court records show that Mr McLemore was arrested after strangling his Ms Moore and threatening to kill her, WREG reported.

Mr McLemore had written on Facebook in January: “Please educate yourself on mental health. Please love each other through sickness.”

Ms Moore did not wish to comment, but her sister Sara Moore said Mr McLemore had “terrorised” Alyssa.

"We want to make clear that this happened because of a perfect storm of domestic abuse, the stigma around it, and the visceral reality of mental illness," she told BuzzFeed.

Facebook has removed the video off the site and is not clear how long it had been online or how many times it had been viewed.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jared McLemore," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.

"We don’t allow the promotion of self-injury or suicide on Facebook. We want people to have a safe experience on Facebook and we work with organizations around the world to provide assistance for people in distress."

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