MILWAUKEE – An SUV plowed into a Christmas parade in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, injuring several people, according to the city’s mayor and witnesses Sunday.
Police in Waukesha, about 20 miles west of Milwaukee, are urging people to avoid the downtown area. Mayor Shawn Reilly told WITI in Milwaukee that he does not believe there is any danger present to the public.
Videos posted to social media, including a live feed of the parade run by the City of Waukesha, showed a red SUV breaking through barriers and speeding into the roadway where it took place. parade.
In the city shot, shot from a distance, the SUV sped into the parade just behind a school marching band. A reporter present at the scene said that a red SUV plunged down the road and the crowd could hear a loud noise when it hit people, leaving many people on the ground.
Angelito Tenorio, a West Allis farmer running for Wisconsin state treasurer, said he had just finished the parade with family and friends before he saw the car drive past the parade.
This news developed in the evening:For an update later tonight, sign up for Evening Briefing.
“We saw an SUV pass by, just put the pedals on the metal and sped along the parade route,” said Tenorio. “And then we heard a big bang, just shrill screams and screams from people getting hit by cars. And then we saw people running away or stopped crying, and there were people on the street. the ground looked as if they had been hit. by means.”
He added, “It all just happened so fast.”
Alderman Don Paul Browne said he was marching before the parade and was almost home when his wife texted him asking if he was okay.
“I was shocked,” he said. “This parade draws people from all over, even Jefferson County. I’m frostbitten. It’s pretty upsetting.”
He added, “My intention was to try to help, but that may be the last thing the police will ever need. The best I can do is be a source of information to everyone. Now we are. having to worry about the shootings. It breaks my heart.”
Waukesha is celebrating its 125th anniversary with celebrations throughout the year. The parade, which runs through downtown, officially kicks off the festive season in the city and is consistently one of the city’s biggest events of the year.
Contributing: Celina Tebor, USA TODAY; Cathy Kozlowicz and Kaylee Staral, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Related press
