The suicidal man who attacked the Supreme Court headquarters in Brazil was Francisco Wanderley Luiz, a 59-year-old locksmith from Santa Catarina, a member of the Liberal Party and a candidate for city council in 2020 in Rio do Sul. Since last July, he had been in Brasilia. He had shared messages of hate and threats against authorities of the country on his social media.
According to the director of the Federal Police of Brazil, Andrei Rodrigues, Wanderley Luiz attempted to enter the Supreme Court headquarters and upon failing, went to the Plaza of the Three Powers, where he launched explosive devices, self-immolated, and was wearing a belt with more explosives connected to a timer and a fire extinguisher simulating a flamethrower.
The police believe that the attack was premeditated and planned for months, connected to active extremist groups. Messages referring to January 8, a date linked to violent acts in Brasilia, were found in the aggressor's home, and it is suspected that his goal was to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Authorities are investigating whether the episode is related to the events of January 8, 2023. The case is being treated as a terrorist action aimed at violently abolishing the democratic rule of law. Political leaders have condemned the incident, and Jair Bolsonaro attributed it to a mentally ill person, calling for national reconciliation.
The attack occurs before the G20 leaders' summit in Rio de Janeiro. Explosives were found in several places in addition to those carried by the aggressor, including a vehicle with fireworks, a buried box with unknown contents, and more explosive material in a house in Ceilândia.
