Suspect of US car attack on parade is named

[Anthea]

Waukesha US: Deaths after car hits parade

Police chief Dan Thompson said the car hit more than 20 people including children resulting in some deaths

Footage posted online shows a red sports utility vehicle (SUV) driving through a Christmas parade in the city of Waukesha, west of Milwaukee, at around 16:40 local time (22:40 GMT).

Police chief Dan Thompson said it hit more than 20 people including children.

He confirmed people had died but said they would not give details until family members had been told.

Local resident Angelito Tenorio told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper he had just finished marching in the parade when the incident occurred.

"We saw an SUV... just put the pedal to the metal and just zooming full speed along the parade route. And then we heard a loud bang, and just deafening cries and screams from people who are struck by the vehicle," he said.

Traumatic

Chief Thompson said officers had recovered a suspect vehicle and a person of interest was in custody, but gave no further details. He added the investigation was "very fluid".

Police fired at the car to try to stop it, he said. The FBI is assisting with the investigation.

Fire chief Steven Howard told reporters that 11 adults and 12 children were taken to nearby hospitals after the incident. The city's police department later said Waukesha's public schools would be closed on Monday.

Mayor Shawn Reilly meanwhile said it was a "traumatic" time for the city. "My heart goes out to all those affected by this senseless act," he said.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers tweeted that he and his wife were "praying for Waukesha tonight".

One video published on social media shows the car crashing at high speed through street barriers. Another showed the vehicle driving into what looked like a group of musicians.

Local media reported that police officers ran down the street during the incident, telling people to take shelter in shops.

One woman told TV station Fox6 the car hit a dance group of girls aged between nine and 15 years old.

The White House is "closely monitoring" the situation in Waukesha, an official said, and is offering support "as needed" to state and local officials. President Joe Biden has been briefed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59369492

[Anthea]

Some fatalities

More than 20 hurt after vehicle plows through parade in Wisconsin

SUV plows through afternoon Christmas parade in Waukesha
Person of interest in custody, no further threat - police
Not known if incident is related to terrorism - police

Nov 21 (Reuters) - Some people were killed when a sports utility vehicle sped through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Sunday, bowling over at least 20 people including a group of young dancers waving pompoms.

Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said a person of interest was in custody and the suspect vehicle had been recovered after the incident in Waukesha, about 20 miles (32 km) west of Milwaukee.

"The vehicle struck more than 20 individuals. Some of the individuals were children and there are some fatalities as a result of this incident," Thompson told reporters.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to reuters.com

Asked about the fatalities, Thompson said: "I don't have an exact number at this time."

It was not known whether the incident was related to terrorism, but an earlier shelter-in-place order in the town of around 72,000 had been lifted, he added.

A video posted online showed a red SUV plowing through the parade, appearing to run over more than a dozen people before crowds ran from sidewalks to offer assistance.

In another video, police appeared to open fire on the vehicle as it crashed through street barriers.

Thompson said an officer fired shots at the vehicle and no bystanders were injured.

Belen Santamaria, her husband, and their three-year old daughter were planning to join the late afternoon parade with their Catholic Church. But Santamaria, a 39-year old Mexican factory worker, woke up on Sunday with a backache, so the family watched the procession from the sidewalk instead.

"The SUV came by at full speed," said Santamaria. "Then I started to hear people screaming."

She hid in a restaurant with their daughter while her husband, 39-year old delivery worker Jesus Ochoa, ran ahead to try to help injured people. He said he heard through other members of their church that roughly 10 members, mostly Latinos and both adults and children, are injured.

"I was going to be there, walking," Santamaria said. "The SUV would have hit us too."

DANCE GROUPS HIT

A woman told Milwaukee's Fox6 TV station that the SUV hit a dance team of girls between 9 and 15 years old. She said the immediate reaction was silence, followed by screaming, running and checking on those injured, Fox6 reported. Video on social media showed small groups surrounding injured girls with white pompoms scattered around.

One witness said the driver also hit a group of "Dancing Grannies" and at least one person flipped over the hood of the SUV, according to Milwaukee's WISN-TV, an ABC affiliate.

"Members of the group and volunteers were impacted and we are waiting for word on their conditions," the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies said on their Facebook page. "Please keep the Grannies, all those injured, and all those who witnessed this horrible event in your thoughts and prayers."

The local CBS affiliate later showed a picture on Twitter of what appeared to be the red SUV involved with its hood crumpled and front fender hanging off, parked in a driveway.

Another witness estimated the SUV was going about 40 mph (64 kph) when it hit the crowd parading down the street, the TV station said.

"As we were walking back in between the buildings ... we saw an SUV cross over, just put the pedal to the metal and just zooming full speed along the parade route. And then we heard a loud bang, and just deafening cries and screams from people who are struck by the vehicle," Angelito Tenorio, an alderman in nearby West Allis, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Photos and videos of Waukesha circulating on Twitter showed police cars and ambulances crowding a street decked out with Christmas lights in the aftermath of the incident, which occurred around 4:39 p.m. (2239 GMT). People bundled up against the cold huddled on sidewalks as dusk fell.

Some of the injured were taken to the hospital by ambulance, others by police and still more by family and friends, Thompson said.

The Children's Wisconsin hospital said on Twitter it had received 15 patients as of 8 p.m., with no reported fatalities at that time.

Schools would remain closed on Monday for grades 4K-12 and additional counselors would be available for students who may need support services, the district superintendent of schools said.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/gunsho ... 021-11-21/

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[Anthea]

POLICE CONFIRM AN OFFICER FIRED WEAPON

Initial reports about the attack stated that some witnesses heard shots fired as the vehicle was driving through the parade.

During a Sunday night press conference, police confirmed that an officer did fire a weapon in an effort to stop the attack.

POLICE ISSUE SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER

Police issued a shelter in place order for everyone within a half-mile radius of downtown Waukesha on Sunday night around 7pm CST.

[Anthea]

Five dead forty injured

At least five people have been killed and more than 40 injured after a car ploughed into a Christmas parade in the US state of Wisconsin, police say

School bands and a dance troupe of grannies were among those marching through the city of Waukesha when a red SUV came speeding down the road.

It hit dozens of people, including children

One person is in custody. The incident does not appear "at this time" to be an act of terrorism, one official said.

The suspect appeared to have been fleeing another scene when he ran into people at the parade, the law enforcement official - who is familiar with the early findings of the investigation - told the BBC's US partner CBS News.

Local resident Angelito Tenorio told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper he had just finished marching in the parade when the SUV "put the pedal to the metal and just [started] zooming full speed along the parade route" at about 16:40 (22:40 GMT).

"Then we heard a loud bang, and just deafening cries and screams from people who are struck by the vehicle," he said.

Corey Montiho said his daughter's dance team was hit by the SUV.

"There were pom-poms and shoes and spilled hot chocolate everywhere. I had to go from one crumpled body to the other to find my daughter," he told the paper.

The parade in Waukesha - a community of about 72,000 located to the west of Milwaukee - is traditionally held every year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and includes fancy dress, floats, dancers and marching bands. This year's theme was "comfort and joy".

Families lined the sides of the road to watch the event, which was returning after a year's absence due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The parade was being livestreamed on social media, and filmed by onlookers on their phones.

One video shared on social media shows the car crashing at high speed through street barriers, while another shows the vehicle driving into what looks like a group of musicians.

Police officers ran down the street during the incident, telling people to take shelter in shops. Police chief Dan Thompson told reporters that officers had fired at the car to try to stop it.

Belen Santamaria rushed into a restaurant with her three-year-old daughter, while her husband went to help those injured. She had pulled out of walking in the parade on Sunday because of backache.

"I was going to be there, walking. The SUV would have hit us too," she said.

One witness told Milwaukee's Fox6 TV station that there was silence, followed by screaming, running and checking on those injured after the vehicle hit a dance team of girls aged between about nine and 15.

Video posted online showed the vehicle as it was about to hit the parade in Waukesha.

The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies said some of its members "were impacted and we are waiting for word on their conditions".

"Please keep the Grannies, all those injured, and all those who witnessed this horrible event in your thoughts and prayers," the group wrote on its Facebook page.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee said one of its priests, multiple parishioners and students at a local Catholic school were among the injured.

Photos of a red SUV with a crumpled bonnet parked in a driveway were posted on Twitter by TV station CBS 58.

Chief Thompson said officers had recovered a "suspect vehicle" and a person of interest was in custody, but gave no further details. He added that the investigation was "very fluid".

Officials in Waukesha warned that the number of fatalities and injuries could change as additional information is collected. They said some people had transported themselves to local hospitals.

Fire chief Steven Howard told reporters that his department had taken 11 adults and 12 children to nearby hospitals after the incident.

The Children's Wisconsin hospital said it had received 15 patients as of 20:00, while the Aurora Medical Center-Summit said it was treating 13 people, including three in a critical condition.

Mayor Shawn Reilly described the incident as a "horrible, senseless tragedy".

"I am deeply saddened to know that so many in our community went to a parade but ended up dealing with injury and heartache," he said.

Waukesha's public schools will be closed on Monday, and counselling services have been made available to those affected.

Link to Article - Photos - Videos:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59369492

[Anthea]

Suspect named

Sources told US outlets Darrell Brooks was the driver of the red SUV that hit and killed at least five people and injured over 40 others in Waukesha

School children and a dance troupe of grannies are believed to be among the victims of the Sunday tragedy.

Police have not yet officially named the suspect.

The incident does not appear "at this time" to be an act of terrorism, an official said earlier.

Warning: This article contains upsetting content.

Mr Brooks is believed to have been fleeing another scene - possibly a knife fight - when he ran into people at the parade, the law enforcement official, who is familiar with the early findings of the investigation, told the BBC's US partner CBS News.

Local resident Angelito Tenorio told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper he had just finished marching in the parade when the SUV "put the pedal to the metal and just [started] zooming full speed along the parade route" at about 16:40 (22:40 GMT) on Sunday.

"Then we heard a loud bang, and just deafening cries and screams from people who are struck by the vehicle," he said.

Corey Montiho said his daughter's dance team was hit by the SUV.

"There were pom-poms and shoes and spilled hot chocolate everywhere. I had to go from one crumpled body to the other to find my daughter," he told the paper.

Sarah Saldivar, who was at the parade with her two young children, told CBS News she saw "a red blur" and then saw "little girls flying through the air".

The parade in Waukesha - a community of about 72,000 located to the west of Milwaukee - is traditionally held every year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and includes fancy dress, floats, dancers and marching bands.
This year's theme was "comfort and joy".

Families lined the sides of the road to watch the event, which was returning after a year's absence due to the coronavirus pandemic.

One video shared on social media shows the car crashing at high speed through street barriers, while another shows the vehicle driving into what looks like a group of musicians.

Police officers ran down the street during the incident, telling people to take shelter in shops. Police chief Dan Thompson told reporters that officers had fired at the car to try to stop it.

Jason Kellner told the New York Times newspaper he had just watched his son go past with his school marching band when the car came towards the crowd and "started mowing people down".

"I've never felt a worse feeling; wondering what I'm going to find when I get to my kid," he said.

Mr Kellner found his son standing unharmed at the side of the road, but saw several injured people and pulled a bloody saxophone off the street.

Another witness told Milwaukee's Fox6 TV station that there was silence, followed by screaming, running and checking on those injured after the vehicle hit a dance team of girls aged between about nine and 15.

The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies said some of its members "were impacted and we are waiting for word on their conditions".

"Please keep the Grannies, all those injured, and all those who witnessed this horrible event in your thoughts and prayers," the group wrote on its Facebook page.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee said one of its priests, multiple parishioners and students at a local Catholic school were among the injured.

Photos of a red SUV with a crumpled bonnet parked in a driveway were posted on Twitter by TV station CBS 58.

Chief Thompson said officers had recovered a "suspect vehicle" and a person of interest was in custody, but gave no further details. He added that the investigation was "very fluid".

Officials in Waukesha warned that the number of fatalities and injuries could change as additional information is collected. They said some people had transported themselves to local hospitals.

Emergency responders and passers-by attend to injured people after a vehicle plowed through a crowd at a Christmas parade, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, U.S., in this still image taken from a November 21, 2021 social media video.Image source, JESUS OCHOA/via REUTERS

Fire chief Steven Howard told reporters that his department had taken 11 adults and 12 children to nearby hospitals after the incident.

The Children's Wisconsin hospital said it had received 15 patients as of 20:00, while the Aurora Medical Center-Summit said it was treating 13 people, including three in a critical condition.

Mayor Shawn Reilly described the incident as a "horrible, senseless tragedy".

"I am deeply saddened to know that so many in our community went to a parade but ended up dealing with injury and heartache," he said.

The White House has said President Joe Biden is being regularly updated on the incident and has offered support to local officials.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff across the state in honour of the victims.

Waukesha's public schools will be closed on Monday, and counselling services have been made available to those affected.

A community fund has been created to help victims of the incident.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59378571