Authorities in the border city of El Paso are looking into why a high school student set himself on fire.

The victim has been identified only as a 16-year-old student from Irving High School, El Paso Times reported. The student’s name has not been released. 

The student was rushed to University Medical Center of El Paso with severe burns, district spokesman Gustavo Reveles said to El Paso Times.

Authorities believe the student had been trying to commit suicide and used a lighter to set himself on fire.

According to initial reported released by El Paso Independent School District, a district police officer was first to respond to the scene and helped put out the fire.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas you can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.