Rapper kills 5 in carnage at the Christmas parade
Children among 48 injured as car ploughs into families and dancers
A PARADE to launch the Christmas season turned to carnage when a speeding car ploughed into dancers and families, leaving five people dead and nearly 50 injured.
The driver – alleged to be an amateur rapper – hit children, dancing grannies and a marching band in Santa hats playing Jingle Bells.
Police fired shots at the car which sped away and was dumped nearby. Violent criminal Darrell Brooks, 39, who was released on bail only two days earlier, was arrested. Detectives said they expected to charge him over the five killings today.
He was said to be fleeing a domestic incident before he turned into the parade path on the main street of the city of Waukesha in Wisconsin, US, on Sunday.
Four women and a man aged between 52 and 81 died. A total of 48 people needed hospital treatment, including 18 children. Six were in a critical condition last night.
President Joe Biden expressed his condolences as fire chief Steve Howard said: ‘It was carnage. I liken it to a war zone.’ The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies said some members were among the dead. In a post on Facebook they said: ‘Our group was doing what they loved, performing in front of crowds in a parade putting smiles on faces of all ages, filling them with joy and happiness.
‘Those who died were extremely passionate grannies. Their eyes gleamed... joy of being a grannie. They were the glue... held us together.’ One victim was named last night as grandmother-of-six Virginia Sorenson, 79.
Husband David said she had not been due to be part of the parade but volunteered to hold a banner because the group was short of numbers. He added: ‘She liked the dancing and the camaraderie of the women. She liked to perform.’
A video posted online showed Brooks’ red Ford Escape SUV car, which had been featured in his rap videos, speeding past a little girl dancing in the street, missing her by inches. Other footage showed it slamming into the back of the marching band. Shocked witness Corey Montiho said he saw ‘bodies and kids and dads not breathing’.
He added: ‘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. My family is safe but many are not.’ Police said Brooks had a criminal record dating to 1999. Earlier this year he allegedly beat the mother of his child before running her over in his car. He was bailed on November 19 on a $1,000 bond. Waukesha mayor Shawn Reilly said the city had suffered a ‘horrible, senseless tragedy’.