An SUV has ploughed into a crowd of people during a parade in the US state of Wisconsin, killing five people and injuring 40 others.
The incident occurred in the city of Waukesha, which is around 20 miles west of Milwaukee, at around 16:40 on Sunday afternoon during an annual Christmas parade, which takes place on the last Sunday before Thanksgiving.
Officials have stated that the incident doesn’t appear “at this time” to be an act of terrorism but one person remains in custody. NBC report that that investigators are looking into the possibility that the driver had been involved in an earlier incident involving a knife and was attempting to flee the scene when they encountered the parade.
Speaking to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, local resident Angelito Tenorio said that he had just finished taking part in the parade when the SUV “[started] zooming full speed along the parade route” before they “heard a loud bang, and just deafening cries and screams from people who are struck by the vehicle.”
A video of the incident sees one woman scream “Oh my God!” after a group of young dancers were hit, while a father describes going from “one crumpled body to the other” in search of his daughter.
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Police chief Dan Thompson said that an officer had shot at the vehicle in an attempt to stop it before it crashed through the barriers. Thompson confirmed that there were “some fatalities,” with eleven adults and twelve children being taken to hospital.
Corey Montiho, a Waukesha school district board member, added that his daughter’s dance team had been involved in the crash. “There were pompoms and shoes and spilled hot chocolate everywhere,” he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “My wife and two daughters were almost hit. Please pray for everybody. Please pray.”
The Waukesha school district has announced that all of their classes are cancelled for Monday and that extra counsellors have been made available for students and staff members.
Meanwhile, mayor Shawn Reilly said in a statement: “Today, our community faced horror and tragedy in what should have been a community celebration. I’m deeply saddened to know that so many in our community went to a parade, but ended up dealing with injuries and heartache.”
Senator’s Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin, who both represent Wisconsin, as well as the state’s members of the house and the attorney general have all tweeted their condolences for those involved in the incident.
President Joe Biden was also briefed on the incident by his aides. A statement from the White House: “The White House is closely monitoring the situation in Waukesha and our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by this terrible incident. We have reached out to state and local officials to offer any support and assistance as needed.”