ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Bob Warren, Amanda McAlmont and Steve Satterfield knew their friend and neighbor, Max Azzarello had strong opinions.
But they didn't know he was planning on setting himself on fire outside of former President Donald Trump's trial in New York City.
"I saw a fire online by Trump and we knew he was going to see Trump go to the court and I saw a fire and I said, 'Oh my God I hope that’s not Max and I looked his name up and said 'Are you kidding me?'" said Amanda McAlmont.
"I’m shocked that he would actually go do something like this I knew how he was about his ideologies. I never thought he would take it to that extreme," said Bob Warren.
The three friends said they last saw Azzarello before he left for New York, he told them he had plans to protest.
"He just got off probation and said finally I can go to New York and he went to New York like a few days after he got off probation," said Satterfield. "He said he wanted to be a political martyr and he meant it."
"I remember him sitting on the porch before he left saying he was going to be the martyr and I never thought it’d be anything like this," said Warren.
"I can’t believe he actually did it. It’s just shocking. That was crazy. I am like overwhelmed," they all said.