In America, people only believe what the media tell them to believe. These self-immolations have been done before. Media first ignores them, then makes it into a mental health problem. The anger and insults you saw on Facebook sound like responses to feelings of guilt. They hate Bruce for making them feel bad. In a culture like this, I don't think self-sacrifice has much political value. He would have got more attention if he had shot a bunch of other people, but maybe not useful attention.