Man found dead in pool of blood at Burning Man during 'The Burn,' police investigate as homicide

Authorities are investigating a homicide at the Burning Man festival after a man was discovered dead Saturday night during the annual burning of the “Man," a towering wooden structure shaped like a man. The deceased man was found in a pool of blood. 

According to the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were alerted at approximately 9:14 pm to a man lying in a pool of blood. Responding officers, joined by Bureau of Land Management rangers and Burning Man Black Rock rangers, found a deceased adult white male at the scene. The man’s identity was not immediately reported.

In a statement issued Sunday, Sheriff Jerry Allen confirmed the death is being investigated as a homicide. “The investigation is ongoing,” Allen said, and added that the section of the temporary city where the body was found will remain under heavy police presence until the crime scene is cleared.

The victim’s body was transported to the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office for examination. Burning Man organizers released a statement Sunday to the media pledging full cooperation with law enforcement and offering support services for festival participants.

Officials emphasized that the killing appears to be an isolated incident but urged attendees to remain vigilant. Sheriff Allen described the situation as a “complicated investigation,” due to the challenges from the dismantling of the temporary desert city, when the festival ends Monday.

The annual event, which began August 24, draws tens of thousands of participants to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert for a week of countercultural celebration. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information about the homicide to come forward as the investigation continues.