Waukesha tragedy victims: Driver of SUV reported to be Darrell E Brooks, in custody
Update - The death toll in this case has raised to 5 and 40 people are reportedly injured.
WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN: A "person of interest" is in custody after the tragic events that unfolded at a Christmas parade at Gasper Avenue and Main Street in Waukesha on Sunday, November 21. More than 20 people have been injured after a person barrelled into the crowd with their SUV. Authorities have confirmed that the event has resulted in multiple fatalities.
In the past, we've reported on similar incidents including the Florida Pride Parade tragedy where one person lost their life after a man plowed his pickup truck into the rally. Fort Lauderdale mayor had dubbed the tragedy a "terrorist attack against the LGBT community." In another incident, Shawn Chock plowed his pickup truck into a group of bicyclists who took part in a weekend race in an Arizona mountain town, critically injured several riders. Investigations showed he had a criminal record of intoxicated driving. In September, a car plowed into a homeless camp in Koreatown, Los Angeles leaving 4 hospitalized.
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Who are the victims of the Waukesha holiday parade tragedy?
The Waukesha Christmas rally was live-streamed on Facebook. The event had attracted a decent number of spectators, gauging from the video it was a mixed group - right from toddlers in a pram to the elderly. At around 4:39 pm, an SUV went through a barricade at Gasper Avenue and Main Street and then headed to barrel into the crowd that was gathered there for the parade, according to Waukesha Police Chief Daniel Thompson. At least 11 adults and 12 children have been injured, according to the police. Information on the severity of the injuries sustained wasn't available. As for those who lost their lives, police confirmed there have been "some" fatalities but refused to divulge the exact number of the dead citing privacy for the victims' families.
A red SUV can be seen driving at high speed in the Facebook video followed by gasps from the crowd. Police said at one point an officer discharged their gun and fired shots at the vehicle in an attempt to stop it. A Black male from Milwaukee, Darrell E. Brooks has been identified as a suspect in this case. He complained of shoulder pain while being taken into custody. People who survived this incident took to social media to detail their horror. A person who was at the rally commented on the video writing, "It happened I front of my daughter and Grand daughter..... How do explain this to a 12 year old." Another wrote, "It was horrifying! The car drove past us and saw bodies flying. People screaming. It felt like feet from where our family was sitting." A third commented, "This happened right behind my dance team, the SUV drove past us going about 50-60mph. I saw people get hit and it was terrible. Everyone is devastated."
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