Nov 22, 2021

Police ID 5 who died in Christmas parade crash

Posted Nov 22, 2021 10:02 PM
photo courtesy city of Waukesha 
photo courtesy city of Waukesha 

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — Police say the suspect in a deadly Christmas parade crash in suburban Milwaukee was in a domestic disturbance just minutes before he killed five people and injured 48.

Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said Monday there is no evidence of terrorism in the event. He says police were preparing five charges of intentional homicide against Darrell Brooks, 39, of Milwaukee.

Thompson identified those killed as four women including 71-year-old  LeAnna Owen, 52-year-old Tamara Durand, 52-year-old Jane Kulich, 79-year-old Virginia Sorenson, and 81-year-old Wilhelm Hospel. The women were members of the “Dancing Grannies” club. One victim was an employee of Citizens Bank.

Police also asked for video footage of the suspect vehicle in the parade route or fleeing from the scene, and  contact information here https://forms.gle/xVKV6n9JbwUNjwvC8. Police are looking for video that a person captured themselves – not video they saw on someone’s social media page.

Police were  only looking for footage of the incident, not the aftermath of the event. We know that members of the community want to help out and help the victims.

The Waukesha County Community Foundation, and United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County have joined together to create the “United for Waukesha Community Fund.” This fund will support the needs of the families impacted. You can donate at: www.waukeshafoundation.org/parade.

Many people witnessed traumatic events last evening. If you need to talk to someone, you can call or text 800-985-5990 to be connected to a trained, caring counselor - they are available 24/7. Please only call 911 for emergencies. There will be a Friends and Family Resource Center set up at Carroll University in the Campus Center ballroom for all the victims from 2pm-6pm on Tuesday and 9am-1pm on Wednesday. The District Attorney Victim Assistance Program is also available to assist. You can email [email protected]

Brooks photo Waukesha Co. Sheriff
Brooks photo Waukesha Co. Sheriff

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — A person taken into custody after an SUV plowed into holiday parade in Wisconsin, killing at least five people, has been identified as 39-year-old Darrell Brooks.

Darrell Brooks-photo Nevada Sex offender registry
Darrell Brooks-photo Nevada Sex offender registry

Police haven’t yet identified the “person of interest” they are holding. But two law enforcement officials briefed on the matter provided the identification to The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Online court records showed a person named Darrell Brooks, with an birthdate making him 39, has two open criminal cases in Milwaukee County. In one case, filed Nov. 5, he is charged with resisting or obstructing an officer, reckless homicide, disorderly conduct, bail jumping and battery. Records show $500 cash bond was posted Nov. 19.

In the other case, filed in July 2020, Brooks is charged with reckless endangering and illegal possession of a firearm.

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WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP)— A joyous scene of marching bands and children dancing in Santa hats and waving pompoms turned deadly in an instant, as an SUV sped through barricades and into a Christmas parade in suburban Milwaukee, killing at least five people and injuring more than 40 others.

Photo courtesy city of Waukesha, Wisconsin 
Photo courtesy city of Waukesha, Wisconsin 

One video showed a woman screaming, “Oh my God!” repeatedly as a group of young dancers was struck Sunday. A father talked of going “from one crumpled body to the other” in search of his daughter. Members of a “Dancing Grannies” club were among those hit.

The city of Waukesha posted on its social media accounts late Sunday that it could confirm at least five died and more than 40 were injured, while noting that it was still collecting information. The city's statement also noted that many people took themselves to hospitals. The city did not release any additional information about those who died.

A “person of interest” was in custody, Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said, but he gave no details about the person or any possible motive. The investigation was ongoing, with assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

“What took place in Waukesha today is sickening, and I have every confidence that those responsible will be brought to justice,” Attorney General Josh Kaul, the state’s top law enforcement officer, tweeted.

The horror was recorded by the city’s livestream and onlookers' cellphones. One video shows the moment the SUV broke through the barricades and the sound of what appears to be several gunshots. Thompson said a Waukesha police officer fired his gun to try to stop the vehicle. No bystanders were injured by the gunfire, and Thompson said he did not know if the driver was struck by the officer’s bullets.

Another video shows a young child dancing in the street as the SUV speeds by, just a few feet from her, before it hurtles into parade participants a few hundred feet ahead. One video, of dancers with pompoms, ends with a group of people tending to a girl on the ground.

“There were pompoms and shoes and spilled hot chocolate everywhere. I had to go from one crumpled body to the other to find my daughter,” Corey Montiho, a Waukesha school district board member, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “My wife and two daughters were almost hit. Please pray for everybody. Please pray.”

The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies posted on its Facebook page that “members of the group and volunteers were impacted and we are waiting for word on their conditions.” The group’s profile describes them as a “group of grannies that meet once a week to practice routines for summer and winter parades.”

A Catholic priest, multiple parishioners and Waukesha Catholic schoolchildren were among those injured, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee spokeswoman Sandra Peterson said.

Chris Germain, co-owner of the Aspire Dance Center studio, had about 70 people in the parade ranging from as young as 2 being pulled in wagons to age 18. Germain, whose 3-year-old daughter was in the parade, said he was driving at the head of their entry when he saw a maroon SUV that “just blazed right past us.” A police officer ran past in chase. Germain said he jumped out of his own SUV and gathered the girls who were with him to safety.

Then he walked forward to see the damage.

“There were small children laying all over the road, there were police officers and EMTs doing CPR on multiple members of the parade,” he said.

Angelito Tenorio, a West Allis alderman who is running for Wisconsin state treasurer, said he was watching the parade with his family when they saw the SUV come speeding into the area.

“Then we heard a loud bang,” Tenorio said. “And after that, we just heard deafening cries and screams from the crowd, from the people at the parade. And people started rushing, running away with tears in their eyes, crying.”

The Waukesha school district canceled classes Monday and said in a notice on its website that extra counselors would be on hand for students and staff. The parade’s list of entries included cheer, dance and band entries associated with district schools.

Gov. Tony Evers said he and his wife, Kathy, were “praying for Waukesha tonight and all the kids, families, and community members affected by this senseless act.”

The parade, held each year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, is sponsored by the city’s Chamber of Commerce. This year’s, the 59th, had the theme of “comfort and joy.”

Waukesha is a western suburb of Milwaukee, and about 55 miles north of Kenosha, where Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted Friday of charges stemming from the shooting of three men during unrest in that city in August 2020.