A 58-year-old Wal-Mart employee lit himself on fire in a strip-mall parking lot Thursday night, saying only that he "couldn't take it anymore," ChicagoBreakingNews.com reported.
The man, who wasn't identified, died later at the hospital.
The employee, who worked the overnight shift, doused himself in lighter fluid around 10 p.m. outside the Chicago-area discount store before setting himself on fire, according to ChicagoBreakingNews.com.
At least 10 people witnessed the act and several attempted to rescue the man by throwing their jackets on him in an effort to put out the flames — but he refused assistance.
"He said he didn't want any help and threw the coats off," said Randy Sater, a watch commander with the Bloomingdale fire department.
When questioned by a police officer at the scene as to why he was committing suicide, the man, who was by that time severely burned, said, "I just couldn't take it anymore," ChicagoBreakingNews.com reported.
A store manager said he didn't know why the employee took his life and said he hadn't recently been laid off.
The victim was rushed to a local hospital before being transferred to the burn unit at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago.
He was pronounced dead there at 12:42 a.m.
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