A Christmas parade in the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin, became a terrible tragedy when a speeding SUV plowed through the crowd, killing 5 and injuring 40 others, many of whom were reportedly children. Police arrested a suspect, Darrell Edward Brooks J, 39, who was driving the vehicle that crashed into the crowd. Officers, however, have not yet determined a motive behind the alleged 'attack.'
Members of Milwaukee Grannies, a catholic priest, and some children were injured during the crash. According to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, police on Monday, November 22, released the identities of those killed. Tamara Durand, 52, Jane Kulich, 52, LeAnna Owen, 71, Virginia Sorenson, 79, and Wilhelm Hospel, 81 were identified as those who lost their lives in the terrible accident.
The suspect taken in custody, Darrell Brooks is believed to be a rapper who goes by the name 'Mathboi Fly' on Facebook. Brooks appeared to use the same car in one of his music videos that he drove into the crowd, killing 5 people. He is also said to have released a rap song on Donald Trump. Brooks' long rap sheet and his 'problematic' social media posts are being attributed to the attack being inspired by a political rage.
LeAnna Owen
LeAnna Owen was a member of the Dancing Grannies who described themselves on Facebook as a 'group of grannies that meet once a week to practice routines for summer and winter parades.' Owen of Cudahy also managed an apartment complex. The owner of the two 32-unit buildings that Owen managed, Dave Schmidt described her as the nicest lady who didn't have a mean bone in her body.
Virginia Sorenson
Another member of the Dancing Grannies, Virginia Sorenson was killed in the crash. She was a registered nurse and worked part-time in medical records. Despite having a bad back and a bad hip, she loved to dance, her husband, of 56 years, David Sorenson said. Sorenson had been associated with the Dancing Grannies for over 19 years. She was standing at the back of the group, holding a banner when she was struck by the car. Her husband, David was also present at the scene but suffered no injuries. The couple shares three children and six grandchildren.
Tamara Durand
Tamara Durand was going to make her debut with Dancing Grannies on Sunday but fate had something else on mind. According to her LinkedIn page, Tamara volunteered as a chaplain at Waukesha Memorial Hospital for several years. Before that, she was an elementary school teacher at the Beaver Dam Unified School District for 17 years. The parade on Sunday was her first Dancing Grannies parade, she posted on Facebook.
Jane Kulich
Jane Kulich worked at Citizens Bank. "One of our team members who was walking with the parade float was struck and passed away as a result of her injuries," the bank informed in a statement. She worked at the Citizen Bank as a teller since November 2020. An online fundraiser for Kulich's family described her as a loving, beautiful, and charismatic mother, grandmother, and friend.
Wilhelm Hospel
Hospel was the husband of one of the members of the Dancing Grannies, Lola. He was a familiar presence to the group as he was always around, ferrying the dancers and helping them with whatever they needed. A relative of Hospel, Sonja Hospel Leonard informed about his death in a Facebook post. "I am heartbroken to share my Uncle Bill was one of the victims of the Parade Massacre in Waukesha, WI," the post read. Lola, who was also at the scene, suffered minor injuries, informed Sonja in her post.
