Agents responsible for handling the episode wanted to keep the device and other evidence in good condition
The cell phone that was with Francisco Wanderley, the man responsible for the explosions in Praça dos Três Poderes on Wednesday night (November 13, 2024), was one of the reasons that led to his body being removed from the scene only the following day, close to from 9am.
It took more than 12 hours from the explosion to the . The delay was due to the caution of the agents responsible for the case, who wanted to keep Wanderley’s cell phone and other evidence intact for forensic purposes. The agents’ fear was that an explosive device attached to Wanderley’s body would detonate, rendering traces and the device itself useless. It took a few hours before it was possible to disarm everything, but the cell phone was recovered and incorporated into the evidence.
The assessment of the authorities at the scene was that the device would contain valuable evidence for the investigations. Investigations into the case are already being conducted in an investigation by the PF (Federal Police) and are being reported by Minister Alexandre de Moraes at the STF (Supreme Federal Court).
The explosions occurred in 2 separate locations: one in front of the Statue of Justice, killing Wanderley, and another in a car, a silver Shuma model, parked near Annex 4 of the Chamber of Deputies. Soon after, the site was closed for sweeps due to suspicion of other explosives.
In total, there were 4 bombs involved in the episode. Of the two thrown, only one exploded. The other was the one that killed Wanderley, placed by him under his head before exploding. The 4th was in his body and did not detonate.
In addition to the artifacts he carried with him, 3 explosives were found in a trailer rented by Wanderley, which was close to the car that exploded.
Also attached to the bomber’s body was a timerwhich would have triggered an alert from the STF perimeter monitoring – activated depending on the proximity of people to the location.
This mechanism was what allowed agents to act quickly in the confrontation. According to reports, when he saw that there were police officers approaching him, and that they could prevent the explosion, Wanderley said: “get out of here or I’ll blow you up together”.
Preliminary investigations carried out so far indicate that the man’s intention was not to stop at Praça dos Três Poderes, but rather to enter the Court’s headquarters. However, due to the building’s security system, the assessment among people familiar with the investigations is that there was no chance that he would, in fact, be able to enter the place.
Despite this, it is still unknown whether the bomber’s intention was to blow himself up from the beginning, or whether the fatality was a side effect of his approach by agents for fear of being arrested.
Suicide bomber artifacts
Until now, although the Federal Police and other security bodies speak of “bombs” e “explosives”, The images at the time of the explosions indicate that Francisco Wanderley Luiz used fireworks that need to be lit by accessing the fuse with a lighter or match. At the end of his solitary attack, he lay down on one of these artifacts, placed under his head, and detonated it, dying afterwards.
In the bomber’s car, left in a parking lot adjacent to the Annex 4 building of the Chamber of Deputies, the explosion in the trunk also indicates that the car was , as when they were detonated they created smoke and sparks typical of this type of material.
Images of the interior of the house rented by Wanderley, in the Ceilândia neighborhood (within the Federal District), show boxes of the brand’s “rojão de vara”. It is possible, and this is not yet clear, that some of the material would have been dismantled to build homemade and rudimentary bombs that would be used at some point.
