Five people were killed and more than 40, including children, injured when an SUV vehicle rammed into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin this Sunday (21/11).
Police said the car broke through the barricades around the parade at about 4:30 a.m. (local time) while spectators watched the traditional annual event in the city, which is about 170 kilometers north of Chicago and 30 kilometers west of Milwaukee. .
Police say the number of deaths and injuries could still change as more information is gathered. According to Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson, some of those affected were children.
Police have said a “person of interest” is in custody. According to officials, during the incident a police officer opened fire on the SUV while trying to stop it. The vehicle has been impounded.
It remains to be seen whether the incident is related to terrorism, but police have said the city of 72,000 is no longer in danger.
Thompson said Waukesha’s schools and streets would remain closed on Monday while the investigation into the incident continued.
Attorney General Josh Kaul, Wisconsin’s chief law enforcement officer, said, “What happened in Waukesha today is despicable, and I am confident that those responsible will be brought to justice.”
“The deaf cries and cries”
A video posted on social media shows a red SUV speeding past the parade venue, apparently carrying more than a dozen people, before spectators on the sidewalk provide assistance. ran to do it.
“The SUV came at full speed. So I started hearing people shouting,” said Belen Santamaria, 39, who was watching the parade from the sidewalk.
Another spectator, Angelito Tenorio, said he saw the SUV speeding along the parade route. “And then we heard a loud noise and the cries of deafness and the cries of those who died.”
According to eyewitnesses and images, the SUV ran in the parade behind the school band.
A woman told Fox6 TV that the SUV hit a dance group of girls between the ages of nine and 15. She said the first reaction was silence, followed by screaming, running and helping the injured. Videos posted on social media show small groups of girls scattered on the floor with white fanfare around them.
“There was fanfare and shoes and hot chocolate was scattered everywhere. I had to go from one mutilated body to another to find my daughter,” resident Cory Montiho told a local newspaper. “My wife and my two daughters were almost impressed. Please pray for everyone.”
Wisconsin Children’s Hospital said via Twitter that it had received 15 patients as of 8 p.m. (local time), with no deaths reported so far.
An eyewitness also said that according to WISN-TV, the driver hit a group of “dancer grannies” (dancing grannies), and at least one person rolled onto the hood of the SUV.
The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies posted on their Facebook page that “group members and volunteers were impressed”. The profile describes “a group of grandparents who meet once a week to practice choreography for the summer and winter parades.”
According to the Diocese of Milwaukee, a Catholic priest and students from the Catholic School of Waukesha were among the injured.
White House expressed grief over ‘horrific incident’
US President Joe Biden was briefed by advisers about the incident. “The White House is closely monitoring the situation in Waukesha, and our feelings are with all those affected by this horrific incident. We contact state and local officials to provide any assistance and assistance we may need. Huh.”
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said he and his wife are “praying for Waukesha and all the children, families and community members affected by this meaningless act.”
The Christmas Parade is held each year in Waukesha on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, sponsored by the city’s Chamber of Commerce. This year, the theme of the 59th edition of the event was “Relax and Enjoy”.
