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Police identify man who died after setting himself on fire Des Moines police have identified the man who died Tuesday after lighting himself on fire. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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THE STORY IS DEVELOPING. WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED. STEVE: THANK YOU, SCOTT. NEW TONIGHT, THE DES MOINES POLICE HAVE NOW RELEASED THE NAME OF THE MAN WHO SET HIMSELF ON FIRE YESTERDAY INSIDE THE DOWNTOWN DES MOINES LIBRARY. 36-YEAR-OLD DAVID FRANKLIN SMITH ARRIVED IN DES MOINES ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, FROM A HOMELESS SHELTER IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. KCCI SENIOR REPORTER TODD MAGEL IS LIVE DOWNTOWN TONIGHT WITH THE NEW INFORMATION. TODD: STEVE THIS IS WHERE DAVID , FRANKLIN SMITH DIED, INSIDE THE DOORS HERE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE DES MOINES LIBRARY. HE HAD BEEN STAYING AT A HOMELESS SHELTER JUST A COUPLE OF BLOCKS SOUTH OF WHERE WE ARE. AND TODAY LIBRARY WORKERS WERE , OFFERED SPECIAL COUNSELING . >> I SAW SOMEONE FROM THE LIBRARY COME OUT AND PUT IT OUT WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND, LIKE I SAID, I THOUGHT IT WAS BELONGINGS. I HAD NO IDEA THAT IT WAS A PERSON. TODD: SHARON MURPHY WAS GETTING A COFFEE ON A BREAK FROM HER JOB AT NATIONWIDE INSURANCE, WHEN SHE PASSED BY AN HORRIFIC SIGHT AT THE DES MOINES LIBRARY. POLICE NOW SAY 36-YEAR-OLD DAVID FRANKLIN SMITH WALKED IN TUESDAY AFTERNOON, DOUSED HIMSELF WITH A LIQUID, AND SET IT ON FIRE. HE DIED A FEW HOURS LATER AT THE BURN UNIT AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS IN IOWA CITY. IT WAS A TRAUMATIC EVENT FOR THE SHOCKED LIBRARY WORKERS. >> NO ONE ELSE WAS HURT, AND I CREDIT THAT WITH OUR STAFF. THEY WERE HEROES. THEY HAD THE LIBRARY CLEARED UNDER FIVE MINUTES. EVERYBODY WAS EVACUATED, EVERYBODY WAS SAFE, PEOPLE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON, BECAUSE THEY ARE PROFESSIONALS AND ARE TRAINED WHAT TO DO. >> UNFORTUNATELY, HE KEPT TO HIMSELF HE WAS VERY QUIET. TODD: MELISA O’NEAL IS CEO OF CENTRAL IOWA SHELTER AND SERVICES. SHE CONFIRMS SMITH HAD BEEN STAYING HERE FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS, AFTER HITCHHIKING FROM ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. SHE SAYS IT’S FRUSTRATING THAT HE WASN’T HERE LONG ENOUGH FOR STAFF TO HELP. >> THIS YOUNG MAN IS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WE COULDN’T SERVE QUICK ENOUGH, AND SO THE STAFF IS TAKING IT A LITTLE BIT PERSONALLY. JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WE DON’T KNOW, AND IT TAKES US TIME TO REALLY FIND THOSE TRUTHS, AND DAVID WAS NO DIFFERENT TODD THE PUBLIC LIBRARY HANDED OVER SURVEILLANCE VIDEO TO POLICE, SHOWING THIS MAN SETTING HIMSELF ON FIR OF THE WORST VIDEOS HE’S EVER SEEN. THE SHELTERS ALSO SAY THEY ARE SEEING RECORD NUMBERS OF HO