Veteran who set fire to himself has died

Authorities say man, disgruntled with VA, took action in protest.

Air Force veteran John Michael Watts, 58, was brought to the hospital with burns over 85 to 90 percent of his body.

The Air Force veteran who set himself on fire outside the State Capitol last week died Monday, the GBI said Tuesday.

John Michael Watts, 58, was brought to the Grady Memorial Hospital on June 26 with burns over 85 to 90 percent of his body, the Georgia State Patrol said at the time.

He had no known address. Disgruntled with the Department of Veteran Affairs, authorities said he strapped himself with a homemade incendiary device and fireworks, doused himself in a flammable liquid and set himself on fire in protest.

Out of fear that the vehicle

the man arrived in might con- tain explosive devices, authorities closed several major streets around the Capitol and evacuated the building for most of the day.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents used a robot to remove items from the man’s Nissan Sentra.

In recent years, the Department of Veteran Affairs has faced strong criticism over the health care it provides veterans and their

dependents. Multiple investigations have uncovered long wait times and substandard care.

Authorities did not identify any specific problems the Air Force veteran was protesting at the agency.

About 10:45 a.m., Watts parked his Sentra on Washington Street, stepped out of the car and walked toward the Capitol.

“He was strapped with some homemade incendiary devices (and) firecrackers, and doused himself with some kind of flammable liquid” before lighting the fireworks, Georgia State Patrol

Capt. Mark Perry said.

Two bursts of loud pops resembling gunfire can be heard on a video of an unrelated news conference in the area at the time. Several more bursts followed for

about 30 seconds. Sirens blared. State patrol officers ordered pedestrians away from the area as multiple agencies converged on the scene.

GBI agents spent at least four hours investigating the car.