Student who set himself on fire at school succumbs to burns.

[dgibby]

(Charleston, SC): People in the tightknit Academic Magnet High School-School of the Arts community were pulling together Thursday, coping with the trauma of a student who was engulfed in flames at the front entrance, a horrific spectacle witnessed by dozens.

Now they must deal with learning that the student has died, and that he set himself on fire in an apparent suicide.

Aaron Williams, 16, was pronounced dead at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta at 3:19 p.m. Thursday, Charleston County Deputy Coroner Brittney Martin said.

North Charleston police said earlier in the day that the student had poured an accelerant on his clothing and ignited the fire himself. The announcement confirmed what witnesses already knew and many people suspected.

Charleston County authorities released a 911 recording of the incident, which revealed that students used a fire extinguisher to douse their burning classmate as teachers then wrapped him with a blanket until authorities arrived.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/dec/10/teens-burns-prove-fatal/

(The incident occurred on Wed, Dec 8. Williams suffered burns over 70% of his body. Reason for the suicide has not been reported, but fellow students described Aaron as happy and popular.)

[xchrom]

1. oh. my. god. nt

[dgibby]

2. That's what I said, too.

So very, very sad. I can't imagine the effect this has had on the students who witnessed it, but they certainly reacted well, rushing out with a fire extinguisher to help.

[xchrom]

3. it's an horrific way to die -- that they weren't frozen is remarkable. nt

[RamboLiberal]

4. Father of burned child: 'He wanted to be a doctor'

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Outside Academic Magnet High School the American flag flies at half staff as groups of students lay flowers at an empty parking space in remembrance of the teen who took his own life by setting himself on fire.

Students have also elected to dress in red in memoriam.

At a press conference Friday afternoon, the victim's father said his son was a patient, generous and sensitive young man that the family wanted remembered by the way he lived his life, not how he ended it.

Lt. Col. Trace Williams said his son's lifelong passion was to become a doctor and help those who are struggling with illness and hardship the way his son Aaron did.

http://www.live5news.com/Global/story.asp?S=13652380

How terribly sad!