Post by Admin on Nov 22, 2021 1:36:26 GMT
A car drove through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Sunday afternoon, leaving more than 20 people injured, authorities said.
Dozens of emergency officials responded after the incident around 4:40 p.m. local time. A livestream video of the event appears to show a red SUV speeding through the parade route, troubling those gathered on the street. A police vehicle is seen rushing through the crowd soon afterwards before the attendees begin to disperse.
The city’s police chief, Dan Thompson, told reporters before an evening press conference that more than 20 people were injured. Authorities have identified one person of interest, although Thompson did not say if that person was in custody. The chief added that the scene was safe and there were no further threats to the public.
“Tonight was a traumatic situation for the city of Waukesha,” the city’s mayor, Shawn Reilly, said. “We don’t have all the details. We can’t provide details at this point.”
Those on the scene described a festive atmosphere that quickly turned tragic.
“As we were walking back in between the buildings that we saw an SUV crossover, just put the pedal to the metal and just zooming full speed along the parade route,” Angelito Tenorio, an alderman for West Allis, Wisconsin, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “And then we heard a loud bang, and just deafening cries and screams from people who are struck by the vehicle.”
He said he saw people running from the scene crying, and people on the ground who appeared to have been hit by the car.
Local reporters said it appeared that multiple people were on the ground shortly after the incident, with unverified reports of shots fired. Many families were at the event with young children.
Gov. Tony Evers (D) called the incident a “senseless act” and said his office was awaiting more information.
Kaylee Staral, an intern at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, was at the parade on Sunday. She told CNN the SUV came “running down the middle of the street” and hit “a lot of people.”
“After the SUV left, there were multiple people on the ground, and the police came through a little later saying at least 30 on the ground,” Staral said. She added that the car was going “very fast.”
The Waukesha Christmas Parade, held about 17 miles west of downtown Milwaukee, is an annual event that has been held for more than 50 years. The city describes it as a holiday tradition that brings together “local civic groups, business, schools, public services and entertainers each year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.”