The first official toll of the tragedy that occurred in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where a man in a car, perhaps on the run after committing a crime, overwhelmed a Christmas parade is 5 dead and over 40 injured. The city administration reports on Twitter.
Waukesha is a town of over 60,000 inhabitants about 30 km west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The suspect is in custody. The local police chief Dan Thompson said, adding that there are some casualties.
The dynamics
The incident occurred in the mid-afternoon when a red SUV swooped into the parade at high speed, accelerating just as it was behind a school band, before fleeing, overwhelming the barriers. Images shot live on social media and bounced on US networks. Many people have been overwhelmed by causing panic scenes, including screams, crying and fleeing to homes and shops to get safe. Numerous families with children. There have also been reports of gunshots, perhaps exploded by the police to stop the driver, but for now there are no confirmations from the authorities.
The testimonials
The area has been evacuated and isolated for some but now the alarm has ceased. The fear is that of yet another attack but at the moment there are no elements to confirm it. Other hypotheses are not excluded. “As we were returning from the parade we saw an SUV speeding along the path of the parade. Then we heard a loud roar and deafening screams and cries of the people who had been hit by the vehicle,” city councilor Angelito told the media. Tenorio, one of the witnesses of the episode. “Then we saw people running away or stop crying, there were a lot of people injured on the ground,” he added. “A tragic accident,” commented local police chief Dan Thompson. Meanwhile Mayor Shawn Reilly expressed his solidarity with the injured and their families.
Driving the car
Driving the red Ford SUV, which landed in the middle of a musical parade, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, thirty kilometers from Milwaukee, was a 39-year-old African American, fleeing from another place, where a stabbing had probably occurred. Darrell Brooks, a long list of precedents, including violence and drug dealing, had been released from prison just two days ago. His car ended up on the procession animated by young and old who played and danced. After avoiding the last in line, Brooks left again, overwhelming dozens of people.
Source-tg24.sky.it