Man charged in WI parade crash that left 5 dead

WAUKESHA, Wis. (WLS) -- Authorities identified the operator of a reddish SUV that plowed into a Christmas parade successful Waukesha, Wisconsin Sunday night, leaving 5 radical dormant and much than 40 others injured.

Darrell E. Brooks, 39, of Milwaukee, has been charged with 5 counts of intentional homicide, Waukesha constabulary announced Monday. Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said helium intentionally drove done the downtown Christmas parade to get distant from a home disturbance minutes earlier.

WATCH | Waukesha constabulary denote charges successful deadly parade clang

The main said determination was nary constabulary pursuit erstwhile Brooks drove done the barricades erected for the parade.

"We are assured helium acted alone," Thompson said, adding that determination is nary grounds the incidental was a violent attack.

READ MORE | Who is Darrell Brooks?

Police successful Waukesha, Wisconsin said Monday that 4 women ages 52 to 79, and an 81-year-old antheral were killed successful the deadly clang astir 20 miles westbound of Milwaukee.

Hundreds gathered for a vigil successful a adjacent parkland Monday night. Faith leaders, the constabulary main and the politician of Waukesha each spoke, often emotionally, arsenic they tried to comfortableness the assemblage truthful shaken aft the calamity Sunday afternoon.

RELATED: 'Their eyes gleamed': Members of Dancing Grannies radical among Waukesha Christmas parade victims

"Today our assemblage faced fearfulness and calamity successful what should person been a assemblage celebration," Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly said. "My bosom goes retired to each those affected by this senseless act. My bosom goes retired to each of those injured arsenic good and their families. My bosom goes retired to each who are victims of these events. My bosom goes retired to those who mislaid a loved 1 tonight."

Shortly aft 4:30 p.m., a reddish SUV drove into the town's Christmas parade, hitting aggregate people, Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said.

"We saw him swerve close into the children from the shot team. The parents that were marching with them, the 1 begetter of the shot team, had pushed his kid retired of the mode and helium took the blunt extremity of the vehicle. He went down and each chaos conscionable erupted," said witness, Mark Liepski.

Dylan Porth and his 8-year-old lad Mason were adjacent the commencement of the parade way and watched arsenic Brooks drove his SUV down the mediate of the parade route.

"He accelerated, similar helium intentionally swerved toward the kids," Porth said.

Hundreds had been successful attendance astatine the parade, which had a taxable of "comfort and joy."

"So galore successful our assemblage went to a parade but ended up dealing with wounded and heartache," Reilly said. "I commune for each those that were injured, that they recover. I commune for those who mislaid a loved one."

The metropolis of Waukesha had a occurrence motor arsenic portion of the parade and responded arsenic soon arsenic calls started coming in, occurrence officials said.

Victims were transported to hospitals via ambulances, constabulary officers and household members, according to officials.

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"Some of the individuals are children and are immoderate fatalities arsenic a effect of this incident," the constabulary main said.

The metropolis occurrence section transported a full of 11 adults and 12 pediatric patients to six country hospitals, officials said. They did not merchandise accusation regarding specifics of injuries.

Children's Wisconsin infirmary said it helped dainty 18 children injured successful the incident.

Six of those children are successful captious condition, doctors said Monday. The ages of those injured scope from 3 to 16 years old, including 3 sets of siblings.

"We received with antithetic levels of injuries; immoderate were conscious, immoderate were not conscious," said Dr. Amy Drendel, the caput of the hospital's exigency department.

Injuries ranged from cuts to faces, breached bones to superior caput injuries

"I've ne'er seen thing similar this earlier successful my beingness and ne'er privation to spot it again. It was conscionable horrific," Liepski added. "Watching the mediocre kids connected the backmost of that motortruck shriek for their ma and dad."

One radical from the parade, the "Milwaukee Dancing Grannies" posted to Facebook saying: "The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies are devasted by this unspeakable tradegy with of nonaccomplishment of beingness and injuries successful the Waukesha Christmas parade. Our radical was doing what they loved, performing successful beforehand of crowds successful a parade putting smiles connected faces of each ages, filling them with joyousness and happiness. While performing the grannies enjoyed proceeding the crowds cheers and applause which surely brought smiles to their faces and warmed their hearts. Those who died were highly passionate Grannies. Their eyes gleamed.....joy of being a Grannie. They were the glue....held america together. Our hearts are dense astatine this astir hard time, arsenic much accusation and updates go disposable it volition beryllium posted . Please support them their families, friends, the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies and everyone who lives person everlastingly changed successful your thoughts and prayers."

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee was besides impacted. One of its priests and aggregate parishioners were injured.

An serviceman besides discharged his limb astatine the fishy conveyance to effort and halt it, but nary bystanders were injured by the gunfire, Thompson added.

"To the families involved, you are successful the Waukesha Police Department's thoughts and prayers. To the Waukesha community, this country is present harmless and secure," the main said.

Police said determination is nary existent information to the public.

Police successful Waukesha were urging radical to debar the downtown country Monday morning.

A unrecorded video provender of the parade from the metropolis of Waukesha showed a reddish SUV breaking done barriers and speeding into the roadway wherever the parade was taking place.

Angelito Tenorio, a West Allis alderman who is moving for Wisconsin authorities treasurer, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that helium was watching the parade with his household erstwhile they saw the SUV travel speeding into the area.

"Then we heard a large bang, and conscionable deafening cries and screams from radical who are who are struck by the vehicle," Tenorio said. "And then, and past we saw radical moving distant oregon stopping crying, and there, determination are radical connected the crushed who looked similar they'd been deed by the vehicle."

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers posted to Twitter saying: "Kathy and I are praying for Waukesha contiguous and each the kids, families, and assemblage members affected by this senseless act. I'm grateful for the archetypal responders and folks who acted rapidly to help, and we are successful interaction with section partners arsenic we await much information."

SEE MORE: 'I was grabbing my children': Waukesha, Wisconsin parade subsister describes 'screams and chaos'

The assemblage is present successful mourning, with Waukesha nationalist schools canceling people and making counselors disposable for each students 4K-12 successful aftermath of the incident.

"Several of our administrative unit and principals met this evening pursuing the tragic lawsuit that occurred astatine the City of Waukesha Christmas Parade. At this time, we are moving with the constabulary section to much afloat comprehend each of the tragic details of this unfortunate event. As a effect of this situation, schoolhouse volition beryllium canceled connected Monday, November 22, 2021, for each students successful grades 4K - 12. Additionally, the District volition person further counselors disposable during the schoolhouse time astatine each buildings for each students that whitethorn beryllium successful request of enactment services. A determination connected schoolhouse for Tuesday volition beryllium determined during the time connected Monday. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted, with each who witnessed the event, and with our full community," the territory said successful a statement.

Counseling services are disposable astatine Waukesha South.

There is besides a household reception halfway astatine Waukesha South. If you are looking for household members and unrecorded retired of town, delight telephone 262-548-7122.

The District volition besides person bagged lunches disposable Monday for anyone successful the assemblage from noon to 1 p.m. astatine the main entrances of Butler Middle School, Horning Middle School, Les Paul Middle School, North High School, South High School and West High School.

Main Street is closed from Barstow Street and Main to Wisconsin Avenue and Main; it volition not beryllium unfastened earlier mid-day Monday.

Businesses successful the country were asked to stay closed, and flags are astatine half-staff.

Waukesha City Hall volition besides beryllium closed Monday.

Waukesha constabulary said those experiencing affectional distress from the incidental should telephone oregon substance 800-985-5990.

The Associated Press contributed to this post.