Five people were killed and 40 wounded after a vehicle plowed into a Christmas parade in Wisconsin on Sunday, police said.
Officials said a red SUV broke through barricades at the Christmas parade in Waukesha, a suburb of Milwaukee just after 4:30pm, as spectators watched the annual tradition.
“We can confirm that five people are deceased and 40 are injured. However, these numbers may change as we collect additional information,” the Waukesha Police Department said in a statement on its Facebook page, adding a “person of interest” is in custody.
Photo: Reuters
Police chief Dan Thompson had earlier told reporters that some of the individuals were children and that officers had recovered the involved vehicle.
There were no other threats, officials at the media briefing said.
Eleven adults and 12 children were taken to six area hospitals, fire chief Steven Howard said.
During the incident, an officer fired at the SUV in an attempt to stop it, the authorities said.
US President Joe Biden received a briefing on the incident, and the White House is “closely monitoring the situation in Waukesha and our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by this terrible incident,” an official said.
“We have reached out to state and local officials to offer any support and assistance as needed,” the official added.
The FBI said it is providing assistance.
Angelito Tenorio, who is running for Wisconsin state treasurer, was at the parade and told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he “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,” he said.
The SUV sped into the parade behind a school marching band, according to bystanders and footage.
“All I heard was screaming and then people yelling out their children’s names. That’s all I heard,” another witness, Angela O’Boyle, whose apartment overlooked the parade, told CNN.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said he and his wife were “praying for Waukesha tonight and all the kids, families, and community members affected by this senseless act.”
Lawmakers expressed their condolences, including the state’s two senators, with Democrat Tammy Baldwin writing on Twitter that she found the “horrific violence ... just heartbreaking.”
Her Republican counterpart, Ron Johnson, offered his “prayers for everyone injured” and “gratitude for all law enforcement, medical personnel and community members who are responding.”
The incident comes after a tumultuous week in the Wisconsin following the conclusion of the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, a teenager acquitted after fatally shooting two men during protests and riots against police brutality last year in Kenosha, located 80km from Waukesha.
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