The man who died last week after setting himself on fire on Washington D.C.'s National Mall has been identified as John Constantino, a 64-year-old resident of New Jersey. An attorney representing Constantino's family released a statement saying his motives weren't political, but instead were the result of “a long battle with mental illness.”

Friday afternoon, Constantino reportedly poured gasoline over his body and ignited it with a lighter. A witness told the Washington Post that Constantino gave a military salute just before setting himself on fire.

Two witnesses extinguished the flames with their t-shirts, and rescue workers found Constantino conscious. Constantino reportedly thanked the paramedics and the witnesses before he was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries several hours later.

[Image via AP]