Waukesha parade suspect charged with 5 counts of homicide; prosecutors announce 6th death
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Darrell Brooks, the Wisconsin man who was arrested and accused of driving an SUV into crowds at the Waukesha Christmas parade Sunday, was charged Tuesday with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide.
Prosecutors said that a sixth person, a minor, was confirmed to have died Tuesday and that another intentional homicide charge is expected to be added within a week.
Brooks, 39, is accused of driving a maroon SUV directly through the parade as it proceeded down Main Street, striking people and a float, police said Sunday night.
Six people were killed, and over 40 others were injured.
In over a decade before the incident, Brooks had accrued an extensive criminal record , with arrests for sexual abuse, cannabis possession, battery and domestic abuse, according to records.
Brooks’ record, which was reviewed at his hearing, factored into the decision to set cash bail at $5 million with extensive conditions.
"It's extraordinarily high, but it's an extraordinarily big case," said Waukesha County Court Commissioner Kevin M. Costello.
Waukesha County District Attorney Susan L. Opper said: "There's a long history of flights, obstruction, bail-jumping-type behavior, your honor. It's remarkable that these are violations all around the state of Wisconsin."
Brooks had posted $1,000 bail on Nov. 11 to secure his freedom less than a week after he was charged with resisting or obstructing an officer, jumping bail, recklessly endangering safety, disorderly conduct and battery, which were connected to domestic abuse allegations.
Police said Sunday that they had been called to respond to a domestic disturbance involving Brooks and a knife before they were redirected to the parade route.
Brooks is alleged to have fled the domestic disturbance in the maroon SUV and then driven through the parade.
“Was there an initial complaint of a knife being involved? Yes,” Police Chief Daniel Thompson said Sunday . “Do we know if there actually was one there? We don’t know, because we didn’t even make it there. We ended up immediately responding to the crisis.”
Prosecutors in Wisconsin admitted Monday that they had asked for "inappropriately" low bail for Brooks on charges related to domestic abuse allegations.
Doorbell camera video recorded less than a mile from the parade route, which was obtained Tuesday by NBC News , shows the moments before Brooks was arrested.
Brooks can be seen begging a resident of the home, Daniel Rider, for help , saying that he was waiting for an Uber ride and that he was homeless. After police arrived, Brooks was arrested.
Brooks is due back in court Jan. 14.
Tags
Who is online
54 visitors
I've always said never trust a person with tattoos on their face and neck, they are prone to making Bad Decisions.
Well some fool of an attorney is going to take his case and recommend that he plead Not-Guilty and of course waive speedy trial which is pretty much automatic nowadays...
The video evidence is overwhelming.... He's going to be found guilty of that there is no doubt... So why suffer the mind numbing slowness of a trial? To make some attorney rich? To make some DA famous?
He can have his day in court, plead guilty and proceed to immediate sentencing ...
Wisconsin abolished the death penalty in 1853 and has had only one execution in 1851 since becoming a state in 1848...
The last poll to ask the citizens the capital punishment question had 55.5% of voters approving it.... But the legislature has taken no steps towards enacting one...
If there was ever a case for it, this is it...
Let's hope he gets Life plus 500 years.
He may get the same treatment Dahmer did. No loss there either.
No matter how guilty someone is, our system allows them their day & trial in court. Pleading guilty would certainly save time.
Jackson Sparks, of Mukwonago, was marching in the parade Sunday with the Waukesha Blazers baseball team, Fox6 reported.
A n 8-year-old child who has become the sixth person to have died in the Waukesha Christmas parade attack is being remembered by the baseball team he was marching with as a "sweet, talented boy who was a joy to coach."
Jackson Sparks, who underwent brain surgery on Sunday night, died from his injuries on Tuesday, according to a GoFundMe page set up for his family. Sparks, who was marching alongside his 12-year-old brother, Tucker, were one of three sets of siblings to have been injured in the attack.
"This afternoon, our dear Jackson has sadly succumbed to his injuries and passed away," read a post on the page, adding that "Tucker, by the grace of God is miraculously recovering from his injuries and will be discharged home."
The page earlier described the siblings’ parents, Aaron and Sheri, as "people of faith", and that Tucker "sustained road rash and a fractured skull."
"Please know that they appreciate your continued prayers and tremendous outpouring of support for their family," it also said. "They do however ask for privacy at this time to allow Tucker to continue to heal physically and their family to heal and mourn the tremendous loss of their sweet little boy who is now under the care of Jesus."
"Jackson was a sweet, talented boy who was a joy to coach. He was an awesome utility player and played on the Blazers Wolfpack team," the president of the team, Jeff Rogers, posted on Facebook . "Jackson was tender-hearted with a contagious smile. He was the little guy on the team that everyone supported. You couldn’t help but love him."
The Mukwonago Area School District also told Fox6 that it is "is heartbroken over the loss of lives in the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy.
"Sadly, we lost one of our students today," it added. "We are honoring the family's request for privacy and ask others do the same... Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and our community."
The suspect in the attack, Darrell Brooks, currently faces five counts of first-degree intentional homicide and faces a mandatory life sentence if he is convicted.
Charges relating to Sparks’ death and the more than 60 injuries caused by the attack will be announced soon, the Associated Press reported, citing Waukesha County District Attorney Susan Opper.
Waukesha Christmas parade attack: Jackson Sparks, 8, remembered as ‘sweet, talented boy’ (msn.com)
There's a long history of flights, obstruction, bail-jumping-type behavior, your honor. It's remarkable that these are violations all around the state of Wisconsin
And yet last week the Soros DA let him out for pittance. I wonder how he sleeps.
Sean, Sean, Sean, without changing the subject, I wonder how someone as conservative as you go about selecting what is/who is worthy of shame and punishment for attitudes and crimes against their fellow citizenry.
Stupid, pointless, meme. What else you got that I can consider? (Nice drawings, nevertheless!)