The man accused of driving through a Wisconsin holiday parade route, killing at least five people and injuring dozens more, appeared in court on Tuesday afternoon. Darrell Brooks, 39, faces five counts of intentional homicide.
Waukesha County District Attorney Susan L. Opper said during the court appearance that her office has been made aware of a sixth deceased victim, who is a child. She said her office plans to file an additional charge of intentional homicide this week.
Authorities have identified those killed as Virginia Sorenson, 79; LeAnna Owen, 71; Jane Kulich, 52; Wilhelm Hospel, 81; and Tamara Durand, 52. Forty-eight people were injured, including 18 children. An 11-year-old girl, who was dancing in the parade, remains in critical condition.
“It was like a war zone,” the girl’s uncle, Ryan Kohnke, told CBS News.
“There were bodies everywhere. There was clothes. Everything abandoned,” he said. “People were screaming, looking for their loved ones. I could see some of the people that were trying to help the injured right away were huddled around them.”
Brooks left the scene of a domestic dispute minutes before the horrific scene unfolded, police said. They say he wasn’t being chased when he drove into the parade.
Police are confident that Brooks acted alone and it was not a case of domestic terrorism. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
