The leader of the Ferguson protests was found dead with a gunshot wound inside a burning car early Tuesday.

Authorities found the remains of Darren Seals, 29, after they extinguished the fire in the car, reports CBS News.

“We were asleep and we heard this big, big boom … The next thing we knew, it was on fire. Like, flaming,” a woman who lived across the street told KMOV.

Officers responded to a call around 2 a.m Tuesday about a vehicle fire in Riverview, according to a statement from the police. After authorities put out the fire, they found Seals’ body with a gunshot wound.

Police are investigating the death as a homicide and have yet to identify a motive. People held a vigil for Seals Tuesday night.

Seals described himself as a “Businessman, Revolutionary, Activist, Unapologetically BLACK, Afrikan in AmeriKKKa, Fighter, Leader,” according to his Twitter biography.

Seals, a factory line worker and hip-hop artist, led the Ferguson protests after a police officer shot Michael Brown. The officer shot Brown after he tried to attack the officer and take his gun. (RELATED: Michael Brown’s Family To File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Ferguson)

Seals was also present with Brown’s mother when the prosecutor said that no charges would be pressed against the officer who shot Brown.

“It’s a different type of crying. I’ve seen people crying, but she was really hurt. And it hurt me. It hurt all of us,” Seals said.

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