What We Know and Don’t Know About the Wisconsin Parade Attack

U.S.|What We Know and Don’t Know About the Wisconsin Parade Attack

WAUKESHA, Wis. — Five radical died, and astatine slightest 48 others were injured, aft the operator of an S.U.V. plowed done musicians, dancers and onlookers during a Christmas parade connected Sunday successful suburban Milwaukee.

Here’s what is known, and what is inactive unclear, astir the calamity successful Waukesha, Wis.

Police accidental the perpetrator is successful custody.

The Waukesha constabulary judge that Darrell E. Brooks, 39, drove a maroon Ford Escape done the Christmas parade. The city’s constabulary chief, Daniel Thompson, said Mr. Brooks, who has a lengthy apprehension record, was arrested adjacent the parade way and is believed to person acted alone.

The constabulary referred 5 counts of first-degree intentional homicide to prosecutors.

The motive for the onslaught is unclear.

Chief Thompson said Mr. Brooks intentionally struck radical with his car aft fleeing a home quality involving a weapon astatine a adjacent home. Police officers were responding to that home, though not pursuing Mr. Brooks, erstwhile helium veered into the parade route, officials said.

The authorities did not accidental whether they believed that Mr. Brooks was trying to harm radical arsenic helium drove done the parade oregon whether his extremity was to elude the police. Chief Thompson said determination was nary denotation that Mr. Brooks knew anyone marching successful the parade, nor was determination immoderate motion that the incidental was an enactment of terrorism.

Those struck included children and octogenarians.

The 5 radical who died successful the onslaught were adults implicit property 50, including 3 members of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, a radical of women whose pompom routines person agelong been a staple of section vacation parades.

At slightest 18 children, who had turned retired successful ample numbers to ticker the parade and march successful it, were among those hospitalized, including 10 successful intensive care.

The fishy had precocious been released from jail.

Mr. Brooks had been arrested repeatedly successful Wisconsin since the 1990s, accused astatine antithetic points of artillery and home maltreatment and resisting the police. This month, prosecutors successful Milwaukee said, helium intentionally ran implicit a pistillate helium knew with a maroon Ford Escape. Prosecutors successful Milwaukee County said they had erred successful recommending a $1,000 currency bail successful that case.

The onslaught marred a beloved vacation tradition.

Mayor Shawn Reilly described the march down Main Street arsenic “a Norman Rockwell benignant of Christmas parade” that has been a cherished lawsuit successful Waukesha for decades, with precocious schoolhouse bands and creation troupes and section politicians each walking done town. Residents were particularly excited for this year’s iteration aft the parade was called disconnected successful 2020 due to the fact that of Covid-19. More than 60 entries, from the Fire Department to the Waukesha Old Car Club to Santa Claus, had signed up for the parade.

“That parade became a nightmare,” Mr. Reilly said connected Monday. “Lives were mislaid during the mediate of what should person been a celebration.”

It is chartless wherefore Mr. Brooks was successful Waukesha.

Chief Thompson said Mr. Brooks had been progressive successful a home quality soon earlier helium drove done the parade. But the constabulary did not respond to questions astir precisely wherever that quality took place, oregon wherefore they judge that Mr. Brooks had travel to Waukesha successful the archetypal place.

In tribunal records, Mr. Brooks usually listed addresses successful Milwaukee, astir 20 miles eastbound of Waukesha. It is expected that much accusation volition beryllium released connected Tuesday afternoon, erstwhile Mr. Brooks is expected to marque his archetypal quality successful court.