Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson has said that it isn’t known whether the incident was related to terrorism. He added that there was no further danger and an earlier shelter-in-place order in the town has been lifted. Thompson said an officer tried to stop the carnage by firing shots at the vehicle.
The city of Waukesha has confirmed that at least five died and more than 40 were injured in the tragic incident. On its social media accounts, it noted that it was still collecting information. The city’s statement also noted that many people took themselves to hospitals.
Angelito Tenorio, a West Allis alderman who is running for Wisconsin state treasurer, said he was watching the parade with his family when they saw the SUV come speeding into the area. “Then we heard a loud bang,” Tenorio said. “And after that, we just heard deafening cries and screams from the crowd, from the people at the parade. And people started rushing, running away with tears in their eyes crying,” he added.
Fire Chief Steven Howard said 11 adults and 12 children were injured and transported to hospitals by his department. It was unknown how many people were taken to hospitals by others. Children's Hospital of Wisconsin said it received 15 patients from the parade. A Catholic priest, multiple parishioners and Waukesha Catholic schoolchildren were among those injured, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee spokeswoman Sandra Peterson said.
The horrifying scene was captured by the city's livestream and on the cellphones of onlookers. Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said some people had been killed but didn't give an exact number. A person was in custody, as was the SUV, he said, but he did not give any indication of a motive.
An SUV plowed into a Christmas parade in the US state of Wisconsin on Sunday. The tragic incident has resulted in some fatalities and injured over 20 people. Officials are working to understand the incident which occurred just after 4:30 pm US time. A crowd of spectators in the town of Waukesha, a Milwaukee suburb was watching the annual tradition.
