An individual who attempted to storm Brazil's Supreme Court in Brasilia on Wednesday night appears to have detonated his explosives, ending his life.

The individual has been identified by the police as Francisco Wanderley Luiz. He was a candidate for counselor for the Liberal Party (PL), which was led by former president Jair Bolsonaro, as ABC News reported.

At about 19:30 local time (22:30 GMT), witnesses reported hearing two explosions; the second of those explosions is thought to have been the one that killed Luiz.

According to authorities, no one else was injured.

The Explosion

The explosions' location on Praça dos Três Poderes, the capital's plaza housing the Supreme Court, presidential palace, and Congress, added to the widespread fear they inspired.

Protesters loyal to Jair Bolsonaro looted and damaged properties in the Praça dos Três Poderes in January 2023, only days after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took the oath of office.

Jorge Messias, Brazil's solicitor general, called Wednesday's event a premeditated assault.

The first explosion, according to the police, occurred in a vehicle that belonged to Luiz.

Not long after that, a security guard observed someone with a knapsack hurling a cloth over a statue of the Lady of Justice outside the Supreme Court building.

Interaction With Security

According to the guard, the man pulled down his shirt to expose what seemed to be explosives fastened to his body as he approached.

The man threw something at the building, lied down on the floor, and seemed to detonate an explosive device he had strapped to his neck, according to the security guard.

The individual "had apparently taken his own life with explosives," according to military police who were tasked with securing the area.

After the Supreme Court building was swiftly evacuated, the area was secured using bomb disposal robots and sniffer dogs.

Executive Impact

According to news outlets in the region, President Lula had already departed before the explosions.

The attack occurred days before Brazil was set to hold the G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro and Chinese President Xi Jinping was slated to visit Brasilia. Police are currently investigating the possible purpose behind the attack, according to Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski.

Luiz, whose true identity has only recently come to light, was a 59-year-old Liberal Party candidate for counselor in Rio do Sul, in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, in 2020. He garnered a meager 98 votes.

Liberal Party members were among those who denounced the incident.