Burning Man attendee found in ‘pool of blood’ as cops launch homicide probe

A man was found dead in a “pool of blood” at the Burning Man festival Saturday night — just as a massive human-shaped wooden effigy was being torched in the Nevada desert, according to authorities.

The body was discovered around 9 p.m. when a festival-goer flagged down a sheriff’s deputy and reported seeing “a male subject lying in a pool of blood,” the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Sunday.

Authorities are investigating the death as a homicide.

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The grisly scene was uncovered while the “Man,” a towering, human-shaped wooden sculpture at the center of the festival grounds in Black Rock City, was set on fire, the sheriff’s office said.

The human was pronounced dead on the scene, and his body has been taken to the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office, authorities added.

Local deputies, Bureau of Land Management rangers, and Burning Man’s own Black Rock Rangers created a perimeter around the area and interviewed several festival-goers at the scene.

The crime scene will be gated off as authorities continue to investigate, officials said Sunday.

“Although this act appears to be a singular crime, all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances,” the sheriff’s office said.

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The festival began last Sunday and is set to end on Monday.

“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,” the sheriff’s office added.

Burning Man organizers said they are cooperating with law enforcement officials during the investigation. 

“The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office will be the primary source of further information. If you are in Black Rock City, do not interfere with law enforcement activity,” the festival association said in a statement.