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Waukesha Christmas parade attack

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Waukesha Christmas parade attack
Corner of Barstow and Main Waukesha Wisconsin parade.jpg
Site of incident on the corner of Barstow and Main streets, on November 22. Police investigate behind yellow caution tape.
DateNovember 21, 2021
Timec. 4:39 p.m. (CST)
LocationWaukesha, Wisconsin, U.S.
Coordinates43°00′44″N 88°13′45″W / 43.01222°N 88.22917°W / 43.01222; -88.22917Coordinates: 43°00′44″N 88°13′45″W / 43.01222°N 88.22917°W / 43.01222; -88.22917
Deaths6
Non-fatal injuries62
AccusedDarrell Edward Brooks Jr.
Charges6 counts of first-degree intentional homicide
61 counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety with a dangerous weapon
6 counts of hit and run involving death
2 counts of felony bail jumping
2 counts of battery domestic abuse

On November 21, 2021, the driver of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) killed six people and injured sixty-two others by hitting participants and observers at the annual Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States. The alleged driver of the vehicle, thirty-nine-year-old Darrell E. Brooks, was arrested and charged with six counts of first-degree intentional homicide as well as 77 additional charges.

Background[]

Waukesha is a western suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has a traditional Christmas parade downtown.[1][2] In 2020, the parade was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] The 2021 parade, the 58th annual event, featured more than 60 entries and had the theme of "Comfort and Joy".[4]

Abandoned items from paradegoers on the corner of Broadway and Main St.

Attack[]

On November 21, 2021, around 4:39 p.m. CST, a red Ford Escape SUV, driven at about 40 miles per hour (60 km/h), broke through barricades and drove through the annual Christmas parade in Waukesha.[5][6] One police officer banged on the hood of the SUV in an attempt to get the driver to stop.[7] Another officer then fired his gun in an attempt to stop the vehicle.[8][9][10]

The parade was being live-streamed, and other attendees captured the incident on videos that were later posted to social media. Two eyewitnesses told reporters that the driver did not stop initially and all they could hear was people screaming and crying.[11] One witness described the driver as "calm and composed".[12][4] Police reported that the driver deliberately targeted the crowd, driving in a "zig-zag pattern" to hit as many people as possible.[13]

Victims[]

During the immediate aftermath of the ramming, five people were confirmed killed and forty-eight others were injured.[14] The five dead were identified as four women and one man.[15] Four of the dead were members of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, a dance group composed solely of grandmothers.[16][17] Hospitals admitted 28 people, and nine were in critical condition.[11][14][18] Seventeen children were among the wounded,[8][15] three of whom remained hospitalized at Children's Wisconsin and listed in fair condition as of December 7.[19][20] By November 23, the number of people reported injured had increased to 62 and the number of fatalities had increased to six after an eight-year-old child died at a hospital.[13][21] The ages of the dead ranged from 8 to 81.[22]

Accused[]

On the same day as the Waukesha attack, police recovered a damaged Ford Escape and arrested 39-year-old Darrell Edward Brooks Jr, a man with an extensive criminal record.[18][23][24][25] He had been arrested 21 days prior to the Waukesha attack for hitting his ex-girlfriend with the same vehicle during a domestic dispute.[26] The charges against him for that case include second-degree recklessly endangering safety with domestic abuse assessments, a felony, as well as disorderly conduct with domestic abuse assessments; misdemeanor battery with domestic abuse assessments; and obstructing an officer. He posted $1,000 bail on November 19, two days before the Waukesha attack, and was released.[27][28][29] Brooks also has a warrant for a sex crime in Nevada.[30]

Brooks was arrested the night of the attack, soon after telling a Waukesha resident that he was homeless and waiting for an Uber.[31] The man was unaware of the events that had occurred, and had let Brooks into his home.[32] Brooks had initially been charged with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide. Following the death of a sixth victim, Brooks's bond was set at $5 million, and he remains in custody,[33] following an initial court appearance.[31] The Waukesha County District Attorney has said more charges are likely to come,[7] and on November 29 he was charged with a sixth count of first degree intentional homicide.[34]

It is believed that the driver acted alone and did not know anyone at the parade.[7][32][28][35] Waukesha Police Chief Daniel Thompson said the attack "was not a terrorist event."[36] Police are investigating whether Brooks may have been fleeing from a nearby domestic disturbance when encountering the parade.[18] The police chief said, "We have information that the suspect prior to the incident was involved in a domestic disturbance, which was just minutes prior, and the suspect left that scene just prior to our arrival to that domestic disturbance."[14] He also said that Brooks was not being chased by police when he drove into the parade route.[28] Prosecutors have alleged that Brooks was trying to "strike and hurt as many people as possible".[37]

Brooks was interviewed by Fox News while in custody and said, "I just feel like I'm being monster – demonized."[38] His mother wrote a letter to the media saying he had a long history of mental health problems and no health insurance to pay for treatment.[38][39] In December, Brooks was charged further for the November 2 incident, with charges of intimidating a witness and intimidation of a victim, both felonies. He is alleged to have called his girlfriend from jail over several days and threatened her not to cooperate with the investigation.[26]

In January 2022, 77 additional charges were filed against Brooks for the parade attack, including 61 counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety with a dangerous weapon, six counts of hit and run involving death, two counts of felony bail jumping and two counts domestic abuse.[40][41] The latter charges are in relation to two altercations between Brooks and his girlfriend on the day of the attack and the day before.[42]

Trial[]

On January 14, 2022, Waukesha Court Commissioner Kevin Costello ruled in preliminary hearing that Brooks would stand trial due to "ample evidence on all fronts." Waukesha police detective Thomas Casey testified in the hearing as a witness, where he told that he and other officers present at the scene yelled at Brooks to stop, while Brooks zig-zagged with his vehicle for blocks to run pedestrians over. Brooks's defense attorney Anna Kees argued that Brooks was high during the incident, noting that police officers who arrested him noticed he smelled of cannabis and had red glassy eyes, and also claimed that Brooks did not intend to kill anyone as he "couldn't bring himself" to look at photos of the victims. District Attorney Susan Opper counter-argued that all that Brooks had to do was stop, and that even if he was intoxicated, he still committed multiple crimes.[43][44]

On February 11, 2022, Brooks's first trial took place, where his defense team pleaded not guilty to all charges.[45][46][47] Defense attorney Jeremy Perri entered two motions, requesting in the first one for a different trial in a different date, claiming that Brooks was unlikely to receive a fair and impartial jury trial in grief-stricken Waukesha, citing the "ubiquitous" Waukesha Strong solidarity movement within the county. The second motion requested a new judge for the case. Court Commissioner Costello conceded to the second motion, reassigning the case from Judge Michael Bohren to Chief Judge Jennifer Dorow.[48] One month later, Chief Judge Dorow scheduled Brooks's next trial for October 3, 2022, the county and venue where it will take place remaining unspecified.[49]

Aftermath[]

The Waukesha Police Department issued a shelter-in-place order for parts of Waukesha but withdrew it the same evening.[24][50] The Waukesha School District cancelled school on November 22 and made additional counselors available to students.[24] On November 22, vigils were held across the city.[51] A week after the attacks the city of Waukesha held a moment of silence.[52] Children's Wisconsin hospital opened a hotline for those seeking emotional and psychological support.[53] First lady Jill Biden met privately with victims' family members and attended a memorial to the victims on December 15.[54]

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers expressed gratitude for the efforts of first responders and good Samaritans, and voiced support for affected families and community members.[55] He ordered the United States and Wisconsin flags to be flown at half-staff the day after the incident in honor of the victims.[56] United States President Joe Biden condemned the incident, calling it a "horrific act of violence."[57] Wisconsin senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson released a joint statement asking people to avoid using the event for political purposes.[58] Pope Francis sent prayers and condolences to the victims on a message signed on his behalf.[59][60]

Several donation efforts were made, with nearly $900,000 having been raised on GoFundMe for victims of the attack,[37] and 7,000 donations being made raising over $1.8 million to the United for Waukesha Community Fund.[61] In addition, local contractors volunteered to install wheelchair ramps in the home of those injured from the attack who will need wheelchairs.[62]

The attack has triggered a backlash against bail reform. Brooks was released on $1,000 bail two weeks prior to the attack, when he was arrested for allegedly running over a woman with his vehicle during an altercation.[63][64] The office of the Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm who set his bail said, "The State's bail recommendation in this case was inappropriately low in light of the nature of the recent charges and the pending charges against Mr. Brooks."[65] The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in courts wanting to reduce jail crowding to reduce risk of infection by giving lower bail requests.[63][65] Chisholm later cited "human error" of an overworked assistant district attorney who did not have access to Brooks' prior history as the cause of the low bail.[66] A court commissioner who was also involved in setting the bail has been indefinitely reassigned to non-criminal cases.[67]

References[]

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