There are multiple reports of a vehicle driving through a crowd at a Christmas parade in Wisconsin. Numerous witnesses claim a car sped through the holiday parade in Waukesha – about an hour northwest from Kenosha. There are also reports of gunshots, but it is not verified.
The Waukesha Alerts Twitter account – which provides police and fire alerts for the city – reported a “mass casualty incident” just before 6 p.m.
Shortly after 6 p.m., the official Facebook for the Waukesha Police Department advised, “Please avoid the downtown area for the time being.” The police department announced a “family reunification location.”
“A car ran through the middle of the Waukesha Christmas Parade Sunday evening, leaving multiple people injuries,” according to a report by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Angelito Tenorio – a West Allis alderman – told the outlet:
As we were walking back in between the buildings that we saw an SUV crossover, just put the pedal to the metal and just zooming full speed along the parade route. And then we heard a loud bang, and just deafening cries and screams from people who are who are struck by the vehicle. And then, and then we saw people running away or stopping crying, and there, there are people on the ground who looked like they’d been hit by the vehicle.
Waukesha Police Chief Daniel Thompson said more than 20 people were injured from the tragic event in suburban Milwaukee. He added that police have “recovered” the vehicle involved in the incident and that authorities have a person of interest that they are “looking into.” Thompson said the scene is now “safe” and there are “no other threats.”
Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly said, “Tonight was a traumatic situation for the City of Waukesha.”
Waukesha Police Chief gives an update on “chaotic, and tragic” incident, confirms a “person of interest” has been detained.pic.twitter.com/8SEfCEKBzG
— The Post Millennial (@The Post Millennial)
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There is a large police and emergency presence in the area.
This is near Barstow & Corinna. There are dozens of police, two incident command posts and road blocks. @fox6nowpic.twitter.com/VC1mhvVcnQ
— Sam Kraemer (@Sam Kraemer)
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Scene in Waukeshapic.twitter.com/Xwc0unIhOl
— Jack Posobiec u271dufe0f (@Jack Posobiec u271dufe0f)
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A live-stream of the parade on the city’s social media page showed a red SUV speeding through the parade.
VIDEO: Vehicle speeds through Waukesha holiday parade. https://cbs58.com/news/breaking-waukesha-holiday-parade-evacuated-following-emergency-event-involving-gunshots-speeding-vehicleu00a0u2026pic.twitter.com/TIgi8P7ICO
— CBS 58 News (@CBS 58 News)
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Video seems to show the same red SUV break through police barricades.
Waukesha, WI.pic.twitter.com/WZYu0Yx8xY
— Ian Miles Cheong @ stillgray.substack.com (@Ian Miles Cheong @ stillgray.substack.com)
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The red vehicle speeds dangerously close to a young girl dancing near the parade.
SUV speeding towards parade in Waukesha posted by a spectator on Facebook.pic.twitter.com/iDMe0HxQpv
— Ron Filipkowski (@Ron Filipkowski)
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Fox6 News reporter Sam Kraemer spoke to a witness who said he saw “about 30 people laying in the intersection.”
“A woman who lives on Main Street says she saw the SUV barrel through a dance team of girls between 9 and 15 years old,” Kraemer wrote on Twitter. “She says the immediate reaction was silence, followed by screaming, running, checking on those injured.”
One man told me he saw about 30 people laying in the intersection of Main & Barstow.nnLaw enforcement are about to close down Main Street. @fox6now
— Sam Kraemer (@Sam Kraemer)
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CBS 58 News shared a photo of the red SUV that is suspected in plowing into the Christmas parade.
Photos appear to show the red SUV involved in the Waukesha Holiday Parade incident. Follow updates here: https://cbs58.com/news/breaking-waukesha-holiday-parade-evacuated-following-emergency-event-involving-gunshots-speeding-vehicleu00a0u2026pic.twitter.com/hfN0avE9Hp
— CBS 58 News (@CBS 58 News)
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This is the parade route, according to the City of Waukesha.
The Christmas Parade is today, Sunday, November 21 at 4pm! We hope to see you there!nnIf you aren’t able to make it in person, the parade will be live on the City’s Facebook page.nn#Waukesha #Waukesha125 #DowntownWaukeshapic.twitter.com/xMH0sz7Pd4
— cityofwaukesha (@cityofwaukesha)
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This is an ongoing story and will be updated as more information is available.