Wisconsin Christmas parade live updates: 81-year-old, 79-year-old among the 5 killed

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(WAUKESHA, Wis.) — Five people were killed and more than 40 were hurt when an SUV barreled into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Children are among the injured.

A person of interest is in custody, authorities said.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Nov 22, 3:00 pm
81-year-old, 79-year-old among the 5 killed

An 81-year-old man, Wilhelm Hospel, and a 79-year-old woman, Virginia Sorenson, were among the five killed, police said at a news conference. The other victims were 71-year-old LeAnna Owen, 52-year-old Tamara Durand and 52-year-old Jane Kulich.

The suspect, 39-year-old Darrell Brooks, is charged with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide, police said. More charges are possible, police said.

The suspect was involved in a domestic disturbance minutes prior to the deadly crash, police said.

Besides the five killed, 48 were hurt when the suspect “intentionally drove his maroon SUV through barricades into a crowd of people,” police said.

One officer fired shots to try to stop the driver, but stopped shooting because so many parade-goers were present, police said. No one was hurt by the gunfire and the officer is on administrative leave, police said.

Police said the suspect acted alone and this was not a terrorist event.

Officials said this “Norman Rockwell-type Christmas parade” has been held for decades.

Nov 22, 1:43 pm
Biden says he prays ‘spirit’ of Thanksgiving will ‘lift up’ families

In his first comments on the deadly crash, President Joe Biden said Monday, “While we don’t have all the facts and details yet, we know this morning that five families in Waukesha are facing fresh grief of a life without a loved one.”

“At least 40 Americans are suffering from injuries, some of them in critical condition, and an entire community is struggling, struggling to cope with the horrific act of violence,” Biden said.

“Last night, the people of Waukesha were gathered to celebrate the start of a season of hope and togetherness and Thanksgiving,” he continued. “This morning, Jill and I and the entire Biden family, and I’m sure all of us, pray that that same spirit is going to embrace and lift up all the victims of this tragedy, bringing recovery from the injuries and wrapping the families of those who died in support of their community.”

The administration is “monitoring the situation very closely,” Biden added.

-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky

Nov 22, 1:22 pm
Person held by police is 39-year-old Darrell Brooks

The person being held by police is 39-year-old Darrell Brooks, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News. Brooks has not been charged with a crime in connection with the parade incident nor has he been named a suspect.

-ABC News’ Pierre Thomas, Josh Margolin, Luke Barr, Aaron Katersky

Nov 22, 12:29 pm
6 kids in critical condition

Ten of the 18 children taken to Children’s Wisconsin hospital were admitted to the ICU, including six children in critical condition, hospital officials said.

Three of the ICU patients are in serious condition and one is in fair condition.

Another eight patients were admitted in fair conditions and two of the 18 children have since been discharged, officials said.

The hospitalized children range in age from 3 to 16 and include three sets of siblings, officials said. Injuries include serious head injuries and broken bones.

Six children were sent to the operating room Sunday night and another two children will undergo surgery on Monday, officials said.

-ABC News’ Josh Hoyos

Nov 22, 11:23 am
Man recounts ‘SUV hurtling towards me’

Brayden Kowalski was at the parade in Waukesha, which he described as “a very loving community,” when he “saw about a block away, the SUV hurtling towards me.”

He pulled his nephews, ages 4 and 6, out of the vehicle’s path at the last minute. The SUV was about 5 feet away, Kowalski said.

Kowalski said he “was fear-stricken, but I just, I tried the best I could to help,” escorting people from the street over to the sidewalks.

Of the driver, he said, “I don’t know if they were targeting people, but they for sure weren’t dodging people. “

Nov 22, 11:07 am
18 treated at children’s hospital

Children’s Wisconsin, the pediatric trauma center for the area, has treated 18 children following the crash, hospital officials said.

Nov 22, 10:55 am
Driver may have been fleeing previous incident

Based on video evidence and interviews, investigators’ preliminary assessment is that the driver wasn’t aiming at specific parade participants but was speeding through the route to flee an earlier incident, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.

Authorities scoured social media and other digital platforms associated with the person of interest overnight. At this point authorities have no reason to believe there is any connection to radicalization, extremism or the ongoing debate about the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict, the sources said.

-ABC News’ Josh Margolin, Luke Barr, Aaron Katersky

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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