Waukesha Christmas Parade Attack

Waukesha Christmas Parade Attack: Waukesha is a western suburban area of Milwaukee, Wisconsin where a Christmas parade takes place every year. The parade held in 2021 was the 58th annual event which had the theme “Comfort and Joy” and it featured more than 60 entries. On 21st November 2021, Darrell E. Brooks drove an SUV through this annual parade, which killed 6 people, and 62 others were injured by this accident.

Waukesha Christmas Parade Attack

Waukesha Christmas Parade Attack

On the 21st day of November 2021, the annual Christmas parade of Waukesha took a dark turn when a then 39-year-old Darrell Edward Brooks drove a Ford Escape, moving at a speed of 40 miles or 64 kilometers per hour, past the barricades through the ongoing parade. This accident had 6 fatal victims while 62 others were severely injured. A police officer tried to stop the car by banging on its hood. Another had to fire his gun in the final stage of rampage trying to stop the car.

The parade was live and many people who were attending that parade captured this incident in their mobile phones, which were later posted on various social media platforms.

Victims of Waukesha Christmas Parade Attack

5 people were confirmed to be dead after the immediate aftermath of the incident, while 48 others were injured badly. There were a total 4 women and 1 man among the 5 victims, 4 of whom were the members of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies and also a dance group with grandmothers as its members. 28 people were in critical condition and had immediately sent to hospitals.

17 children were among the wounded people, 3 of whom had to remain hospitalised at Children’s Wisconsin, the paediatric acute care children hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, until early December.

Two days after the incident, by 23rd November 2021, 62 people were reported to be injured, with the no.of deaths increasing to 6, after the death of an 8-year-old child at the hospital. The ages of the victims were from 8 and went till 81.

Background of the Event

A traditional Christmas parade is held every year in the suburban part of Waukesha of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Although the parade was cancelled in the year 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The parade held in 2021 was the 58th annual Christmas parade, where the theme of the event was Comfort and Joy and it featured more than 60 entries from all over the town.

Aftermath of Waukesha Christmas Parade Attack

A shelter-in-place order was issued by the Waukesha Police Department for parts of Waukesha, but were withdrawn by the same evening. All the schools were cancelled in the Waukesha School District for the next day of the incident, 22nd November 2021. The Waukesha School District also provided counsellors for their students. Vigils were held all across the city on 22nd November. A moment of silence was held in the city after a week, for all the lost lives.

Children’s Wisconsin started an emergency counselling service through phone calls for children seeking emotional and psychological support. The United for Waukesha Community Fund announced that they had raised $6.2 million by March 2022.

Perpetrator of the Waukesha Christmas Parade Attack

The person responsible for the Waukesha Christmas Parade Attack was the 39-year-old Darrell Edward Brooks Jr. The police recovered his car, which was a damaged Ford Escape and arrested him on the day of the attack itself. Brooks was born and brought up in Milwaukee, who has had an extensive criminal background since September 1999.

He was sentenced with 2 years of prison time, 3 years of suspension and 6 months at the Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center for community service.

After he was caught for the Waukesha Christmas Parade Attack, he was sentenced 6 consecutive life sentences.

Darrell Brooks Criminal History

3 weeks before the incident, Brooks was arrested accused of hitting his ex-girlfriend and also for forcing her with the same SUV when he got into a fight with her at a gas station in Milwaukee. He was released from the jail just 2 days before the Waukesha Attack, on 19th November after he paid $1,000 for bail.

Brooks has also been arrested before for domestic violence. He has been charged for other crimes like endangering safety and possession of firearms, after he was accused of shooting his nephew over a cell phone fight.

Legal Proceedings

Let us discuss each and every part of the legal proceedings in detail:

Pre-trial proceedings

At first, Brooks was charged for the murder of 5 people, making this a first-degree intentional homicide. After the 6th victim died, he was charged with 6 counts of first degree intentional homicide, with a set of $5 million on 29th November, after his first court appearance. In January 2022, 77 charges were filed against Brooks, with charges for the parade attack and also for some additional felonies he had committed earlier.

These charges included 61 counts of first degree reckless safety endangerment with a dangerous weapon, 6 counts of hit-and-run that led to death, 2 counts of felony bail jumping and 2 counts of domestic abuse, which was charged on him by his girlfriend.

Trial and Sentencing

On 14th January 2022, the Waukesha Court Commissioner, Kevin Costello ruled that Brooks would stand for trial as there was sufficient evidence on all fronts. Thomas Casey, a police detective from Waukesha acted as a witness who said at hearing how he and colleagues yelled at Brooks to stop his car, and how Brooks drove his car in a zigzag motion so that he could injure many people at the same time.

On 11th February 2022, Brooks pleaded that he was not guilty for all the charges against him. On 26th October 2022, the jury found Brooks guilty for all the 76 charges filed against him. On 16th November 2022, he was sentenced with 6 life sentences, without any possibility of parole with additional 762.5 years of prison time to be served consecutively.

Response

This attack triggered a backlash in the public against the bail reforms that were made earlier due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, as the amount of bail was reduced in order to reduce the crowding of prisons. It was said that the attack could have been avoided if Brooks wasn’t released just 2 days before the attack as he paid a bail of $1,000 for his previous charges.

Meanwhile, the governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers expressed his gratitude for all the help and support given by the people who responded first and also the good Samaritans.

Conclusion

From the above blog, we have seen how this Christmas parade attack has happened and it killed many people. The incident also reported 62 people who were injured. Darrell got arrested on the same day, was found guilty by the jury and was sentenced 6 consecutive life sentences. On 21st November 2023, 2 years after the incident, a remembrance ceremony was held in the memory of all the 6 victims of the attack.

FAQs on Waukesha Christmas Parade Attack –

When did the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack take place?

The Waukesha Christmas Parade attack took place on 21st November 2021.

Who was the perpetrator of the Waukesha Christmas Parade Attack?

Darrell E. Brooks Jr. was the perpetrator of this attack.

How many people died and were injured by the attack?

6 people died while 62 were injured in this incident.