A sixth person, a child, has died as a result of the car attack on a Christmas parade in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha in the US state of Wisconsin.
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The perpetrator Darrell Brooks appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday, after the attack on Sunday. He is charged with five counts of premeditated murder and sentenced to life in prison, the state’s most severe punishment. Police say the charge will probably be extended.
The latest victim is an eight-year-old boy. The other killed are four women aged 52 to 79 years and an 81-year-old man.
Still critical for many
According to the authorities, more than 60 people were injured, and the condition was still critical for several of them on Tuesday.
Witnesses are said to have told the police that the car “seemed to deliberately drive from side to side”, completely without slowing down, while it hit many people and objects, which were thrown into the air.
A police officer fired a shot in an attempt to stop Brooks as he drove into the parade, but stopped firing due to the danger to the audience. The perpetrator was not injured.
Several ongoing cases
Brooks already has two ongoing criminal cases against him, including one in which he is accused of driving at a woman on purpose, and he was at large after paying a bail of $ 1,000. Prosecutors said Tuesday that bail was too low.
The cases against Brooks are about disorderly conduct, violence, illegal possession of firearms and negligently endangering others. He has been indicted 16 times since 1999.
According to police, Brooks had left a scene after a house riot just minutes before he drove into the parade. However, he had left the scene before the police arrived, and there was no ongoing police chase as he drove into the crowd.
Hundreds gathered to light candles in a park in central Waukesha on Monday, and there are memorials at the scene in the city.
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