WAUKESHA, Wis. — One year ago today, Darrell Brooks Jr. drove through the Waukesha Christmas parade, killing six people and leaving dozens injured.
After hitting dozens of people without stopping, Brooks fled the scene. His SUV was later found in a nearby backyard.
A good samaritan, not knowing what had happened at the parade and believing Brooks was homeless, let him warm up in his home. He let him use a phone and made him a sandwich. That night, he was arrested in a man’s front yard.
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Brooks was charged with 76 counts: six first-degree intentional counts, 61 first-degree recklessly endangering safety counts, six hit and run involving death counts, two counts of bail jumping and one count of battery.
That December, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff came to Wisconsin, visiting survivors, families of the deceased victims and health care workers and patients at Children’s Wisconsin. They also paid their respects at a makeshift memorial in Veterans Park.
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The Waukesha community spent the next months rallying around each other — planning memorials, visiting friends in the hospital and recovery, navigating the trauma and remembering the lives they lost: Virginia “Ginny” Sorenson, Leanna Owen, Tamara Durand, Jane Kulich, Wilhem “Bill” Hospel and Jackson Sparks.
On Oct. 3, jury selection began for Brooks’ trial. The trial started days later, with Brooks defending himself. The trial went on for more than two weeks before being left to the jury.
On Oct. 26, Brooks was found guilty on 76 charges related to the tragedy. On Nov. 16, Brooks was sentenced to life in prison without parole, including six consecutive life sentences and an additional 762 years in prison, followed by 305 years of extended supervision.
Nov. 21, 2022 marks the one-year anniversary of the tragedy. Today, the City of Waukesha will hold a remembrance ceremony for the victims and survivors of last year’s Christmas parade attack at Cutler Park.
The event will start in the Les Paul Performance Center at 4:39 p.m., the time police said Brooks drove into the parade.
The ceremony will include remarks from Gov. Tony Evers, Mayor Shawn Reilly, Fire Chief Steve Howard and Police Chief Dan Thompson. At the end of the ceremony, Reilly will “turn the city blue” and ask everyone light their homes or businesses in blue lights as a show of unity and support. There will be limited quantities of free blue light bulbs available at the ceremony.
U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin, D-WI, and Ron Johnson, R-WI, introduced a bipartisan resolution on Nov. 16 to remember the anniversary of the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy in 2021.
“One year ago, the Waukesha community was devastated by senseless violence during what should have been a joyous celebration,” Baldwin wrote in a press release. “I am proud to co-lead this resolution to honor the victims, our first responders and the impacted community members as we come together to heal from this tragedy and remember those we have lost too soon.”
The resolution would do the following:
- Recognize the one-year anniversary of the attack and condemn the attack
- Honor the memories of the six who died
- Recognize the strength of the City of Waukesha, Wis., and the resilience of the community
- Applaud the bravery of the first responders and medical professionals who responded to the attack and cared for the injured
- Offer heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and neighbors who lost loved ones in the attack
“The Waukesha Christmas Parade massacre was a horrific attack that never should have happened. Today, we remember those killed, injured and forever impacted by this senseless act of violence,” said Johnson in a press release. “Families who came to see Santa Claus, high school bands and the Dancing Grannies instead witnessed a horror that will leave life-long psychological scars. My thoughts and prayers are with the community of Waukesha as they continue to recover from this tragedy.”
The resolution has passed in the U.S. Senate with “unanimous consent.”
Today, flags will be flown at half-staff across the state to honor the lives lost.
Here is a timeline of events related to the tragedy over the last year:
Andrew Havranek contributed to this report.
