What should have been a festive celebration turned out to be a tragedy as an SUV driven by a man with a criminal track record plowed through a crowd of people during the Waukesha Christmas Parade in Wisconsin.
The Christian Headlines reported that 40 were injured and five were killed on Sunday by the red Ford Escape SUV driven by 39-year-old rapper Darrell Brooks, Jr. Also known as MathBoi Fly, Brooks plowed through the crowd of bystanders that included children and elderly.
The Waukesha Christmas parade was being livestreamed and footages showed how Brooks hit dozens of people and marchers with his vehicle. One scene in the footage showed a woman repeatedly crying, "Oh my God!", as the vehicle showed girls dancing with white pom poms in the street being struck by the vehicle. While other footage showed the marching band being plowed by the SUV.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul expressed grief for the tragic event and appreciated the first responders that helped the injured through a tweet posted Sunday night. Kaul also condemned the attack and promised justice to the victims.
"My heart goes out to everyone affected by the devastating incident today in Waukesha. I'm grateful to the law enforcement officers, first responders, health care workers, and many others who helped get care to those who were injured as quickly as possible," Kaul said.
"DOJ is assisting with the response to this incident and will provide any resources needed to assist with the investigation as it moves forward. What took place in Waukesha today is sickening, and I have every confidence that those responsible will be brought to justice," he added.
The first responders brought most of the injured to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin were 15 patients were treated for injuries. The Waukesha Police Department confirmed the total number of injured and casualties and noted that this may change as new information come in. The WPD also said it has cordoned the entire area off from vehicles and businesses were to remain closed since "the scene is still fluid, and the investigation is ongoing."
"At this time, we can confirm that 5 people are deceased and over 40 are injured. However, these numbers may change as we collect additional information. Many people have self-transported to area hospitals. The Police Department has the person of interest in custody," The Waukesha Police Department announced.
Brooks was then taken into custody by the police on Monday for questioning as a person of interest as motives of his attack was unknown but was eventually released on bail.
According to The Gateway Pundit, Brooks is a sex offender who has a long criminal record citing a tweet of Senior Digital Strategist for X Strategist LLC Greg Price on Monday. Price said that Brooks "has two open criminal cases against him," had already "posted bond for two felonies and three misdemeanors two days ago," and "also posted bond for three felonies last March."
The Blaze, on the other hand, reported that Brooks "has been charged three times in less than two years with recklessly endangering the safety of others, most recently in an incident in which he is accused of running a woman over with his vehicle in Milwaukee."
Brooks was charged on November 5 with "second-degree recklessly endangering safety, felony bail jumping, battery, obstructing an officer, and disorderly conduct for which a cash bail was set at just $1,000." He then posted bail on November 11, days before Sunday's tragedy.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John T. Chisholm admitted on Monday through a statement that Brooks should not have been released for such a very low bail last November 11, which have led to the tragic parade.
"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. The bail recommendation in this case is not consistent with the approach of the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office toward matters involving violent crime, nor was it consistent with the risk assessment of the defendant prior to setting of bail," Chisolm said.
The Gateway Pundit stressed that Brook's attack on the parade was "intentional" based on his criminal record that showed he "purposely ran over a woman with his car following a faith" considering "that woman was his baby's mother." The media outlet also cited a tweet by Disclose.tv announcing that the attack was "intentional"
"JUST IN--Darrell Brooks intentionally drove his vehicle into the Christmas parade in #Waukesha and is charged with 5 counts of intentional homicide, according to the police," Disclose.tv tweeted..
BREAKING: Waukesha Police is recommending 5 counts of intentional homicide for Darrell Brooks with additional charges to come after ramming through Christmas parade pic.twitter.com/sHleoxkGvi
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) November 22, 2021