A prayer vigil was held on Monday night for the Waukesha Christmas Parade victims of Darrell Brooks, which included five people who died and 48 who were injured.
CBN News said the Waukesha community held the vigil as many are "still reeling from the tragedy." Three of those who died were members of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, which is a group of grandmothers known for their dancing and marching skills for almost four decades now.
One of the members of the group, Brian Wallace, revealed that he was with one of the three during the parade and that one of them actually died in his arms. While a witness to the tragedy, Dan Schneiderman, said the violence is still fresh in his mind.
"I literally saw roughly 10 people bounce off of that car and you could hear 'thud thud thud thud' as he drove through," Schneiderman recounted.
Schneiderman was referring to is the Ford Escape SUV intentionally driven by Brooks into the crowd of people participating in the annual parade. The 39-year-old Brooks plowed through the crowd on Sunday destroying the joyous celebration and the lives of those in the event, both young and old. Eighteen of the 48 injured were but children.
Investigations revealed Brooks drove at a speed of 25 miles per hour through the parade while being chased by a detective who told him to stop due to the festivities.
Waukesha, a close-knit community, was subjected to terror and chaos in a matter of seconds at 4:40 p.m. when Brooks rammed his car on two groups of dancers--one of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies and the other on a group of young dancing girls, as per The New York Times. Sunday's parade was the 58th annual celebration.
The community mourned for their tragic loss by holding candles and reading the names of the victims, while police secured the area. The vigil began at 5 p.m. and was attended by hundreds who braced the temperature drop to 28 degrees Fahrenheit underneath blankets. There were also speakers during the vigil, including Mayor Shawn Reilly, who was also present during Brook's attack.
"Tonight is the first night for healing our community, and we take a small step to lift up those in need," Reilly said.
USA Today reported on Tuesday that a child became the "6th death" in the tragic accident. The 8-year-old child, Jackson Sparks, died from injuries. Thirteen other children remain at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin for treatment from injuries as of Tuesday night.
During his hearing on Tuesday, Brooks was reportedly seen breaking down upon learning that he is accused of killing a child. He was given a $15 million bail on intentional and multiple homicide charges. His next hearing is set next year.
Brooks is said to be a DJ with a criminal record involving sex offense, misdemeanors, and felonies as well as for "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." The woman he ran over was reportedly the mother of his child.
His latest case, dated November 5, involved a "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."
