The victim, who has not been identified, was found dead “lying in a pool of blood,” officials said
A man was found dead “lying in a pool of blood” at Burning Man festival held in the Nevada desert, which local and federal officials are investigating as a homicide.
The unidentified victim, who was described as a white male, was found around 9:14 p.m. on Saturday after Pershing County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Bureau Land Management Rangers responded to a report of a man on the ground at the event’s campsite, Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said in a statement on Sunday.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Forensic Science Division, was also called to the scene; the victim was subsequently transported to the Washoe County medical examiner’s office.
The investigation is ongoing and several Burning Man participants have been interviewed who were in the immediate area where the man was located. The victim was found around when the “Man” — the large wooden, human-shaped sculpture located within Black Rock City, the makeshift city where Burning Man takes place annually in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert — was beginning to burn.
“This process is still ongoing and the portion of the ‘City’ where this occurred will have heavy law enforcement presence until the scene can be released,” Allen said.
“Although this act appears to be a singular crime, all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances,” he continued. “There is no further information available at this time but it will be released as appropriate to provide for communication, while still preserving the integrity of the complicated investigation of a crime in a city which will be gone by the middle of the week.”
Burning Man organizers said it was cooperating with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation and provided resources for attendees. “If you are in Black Rock City, do not interfere with law enforcement activity,” organizers said in a statement. “The safety and well-being of our community are paramount.”
Burning Man kicked off on Aug. 24 and concludes Monday. The festival draws tens of thousands of participants each year to the temporary Black Rock City.
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