SUV Plows Through Christmas Parade Causing Multiple Deaths

Five people have died and more than 40 injured after an SUV ploughed into a Christmas parade in Wisconsin.

The tragic incident unfolded late on the afternoon of Sunday, November 21, as crowds lined the streets at the annual Waukesha Christmas Parade. Posting later that evening, the city of Waukesha confirmed the number of fatalities, while noting that information was still being collected.

A ‘person of interest’ is now understood to be in custody, as per a statement from Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson. At the time of writing, no details have been given about the suspect or any potential motive.

Thompson stated that, at approximately 4.39pm, a red SUV broke through the parade barriers and headed west on Main Street.

Investigators are reportedly now looking into the possibility that the suspect had been involved in an earlier incident involving a knife and that they had been fleeing at the time when the vehicle crashed into the parade.

Describing the incident as ‘very tragic […], very chaotic’, Thompson said that during the incident ‘an officer discharged his weapon at the suspect vehicle to try to stop the vehicle. No bystanders were injured as a result of the weapon discharge’.

There were pom-poms and shoes and spilled hot chocolate everywhere. I had to go from one crumpled body to the other to find my daughter. My wife and two daughters were almost hit.

Please pray for everybody. Please pray. My family is safe but many are not. I held one little girl’s head in my hand, she was seizing and she was bleeding out of her ears. I held her mother as she collapsed. Please pray.

The investigation into the incident is understood to be ongoing, with the Wisconsin Department of Justice said to be providing assistance.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677