A man set off explosives killing himself outside Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) after trying to enter the building on Wednesday.

The STF confirmed the safety of its ministers, who had concluded a plenary session before the accident and were evacuated promptly. Precautionary measures were implemented to remove staff and affiliates from the headquarters building. A comprehensive security sweep of the STF premises was scheduled for the early hours of Thursday to detect any potential hazards. Business operations of STF had been suspended until Thursday noon across all buildings, with a reassessment planned throughout the morning.

Federal District Vice-Governor Celina Leão emphasized in a press conference that ongoing investigations treat this event as a case of self-inflicted harm rather than a targeted assault. She clarified that the incident was not isolated and that no further suspects associated with the act were identified. Celina suggested that the individual who perished in the explosion is likely the owner of the vehicle implicated in the incident.

Law enforcement agencies, including the Tactical Operations Command (COT), the Rapid Intervention Group of the PF Regional Superintendence in the Federal District, forensic experts, and the institution’s Bomb Control Group, have been mobilized to secure the area and initiate preliminary investigations.

Attorney General Jorge Messias condemned the assault on the Supreme Federal Court and the Chamber of Deputies and stated his solidarity with the ministers and lawmakers. Furthermore, he urged the Federal Police to conduct a swift and thorough inquiry into the explosions around the Three Powers Square.