Waukesha Parade Deaths: Brooks Charged With 6th Homicide Count

Waukesha WI

29 November, 2021

4:06 PM

Description

WAUKESHA, WI—The man accused of driving a SUV through Waukesha's Christmas Parade on Nov. 21 was charged with a sixth homicide count Monday, according to online court documents. Darrell Brooks Jr., 39, is now charged with six counts of first-degree intentional homicide stemming from the events of Nov. 21. Brooks' bail remains at $5 million cash. Jackson Sparks, 8, was the youngest victim of the violence. He died Tuesday from injuries he sustained at the parade and prosecutors said they would be filing an additional charge against Brooks in connection with his death. An amended criminal complaint said Sparks' cause of death was craniocerebral injuries from blunt force trauma to the head. Five others — Virginia Sorenson, 79, LeAnna Owen, 71, Tamara Durand, 52, Jane Kulich, 52, and Wilhelm Hospel, 81 — were also killed. More than 60 people were injured, including children. Children's Wisconsin Hospital admitted 18 children in its care. Three children remain in serious condition in Children's Wisconsin Hospital as of Monday. The hospital said a ninth child was discharged on Sunday and returned home. Seven children injured in the parade are still at Children's Wisconsin, with three in fair condition and another in good condition. Parade participants had filled both White Rock Avenue and East Main Avenue on Nov. 21 when the scene turned deadly. Paradegoers were spreading apart when a detective saw a red Ford Escape southbound on White Rock Avenue. People began jumping out of the way of the SUV, the complaint said. Brooks struck numerous pedestrians, including parade participants and spectators lined along the street, the complaint said. The officer saw the SUV appear to be intentionally moving side to side, striking multiple people, and bodies and objects were flying in the air, the complaint said. Another officer shot at and struck the car three times to try to make it stop, the complaint said.