A car sped into a Christmas parade in the US state of Wisconsin. There are several dead and injured.
Waukesha – A car raced into a Christmas parade in the United States, killing several people. The incident occurred in Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States. The police spoke on Sunday (November 21, 2021, local time) of “some fatalities” without specifying this. According to the fire department, more than 20 people were admitted to hospitals, including twelve children. Apparently there was also an arrest.
“The Waukesha Christmas parade was just happening when a red SUV broke through the barriers,” said local police chief Dan Thompson. “The vehicle hit more than 20 people. Some of them were children and there were some fatalities. ”Thompson did not give an exact number of victims, justifying this by saying that the relatives had to be informed first.
Car races in Christmas parade in Wisconsin: Police report arrest
According to authorities, a police officer shot the car to stop it during the incident. Police Chief Thompson said a “person of interest” is in police custody. There is no further danger. The exact background is so far unclear, the investigations with the participation of the Federal Police FBI are ongoing. Another press release has been announced for Monday (November 22nd, 2021).
According to information from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper, camera recordings show that the SUV raced into the parade right behind a band of schoolchildren. Eyewitness Angelito Tenorio told the newspaper that the car had sped at “full speed” across the street where the parade was taking place. “Then we heard a loud bang and deafening screams from people who were hit by the vehicle.”
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“I just heard screams, and then people screamed their children’s names,” eyewitness Angela O’Boyle told CNN.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said he and his wife would “pray today for Waukesha and all the children, families and community members affected by this pointless act.” Schools in Waukesha will be closed on Monday.
US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident, a White House representative said. “The White House is closely monitoring the situation in Waukesha. Our condolences go out to all those affected by this terrible incident. ”Accordingly, the government offered the local authorities all necessary assistance.
Car racing in Christmas parade: Waukesha an hour’s drive from Kenosha
Waukesha is west of the city of Milwaukee in the north of the United States – and around an hour’s drive from the city of Kenosha, where 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges on Friday after fatal shooting at anti-racism protesters in August 2020. The then 17-year-old shot two people and injured a third with a semi-automatic rifle during the protests.
He pleaded self-defense in court because he was attacked by the men. Rittenhouse had joined armed men who said they wanted to protect businesses from looters. Protests and rioting erupted in Kenosha after a white police officer seriously injured an African American with multiple gunshots in the back. (msb with afp)
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