The five people who were killed Sunday when a man drove his SUV through a crowd during a Christmas parade in Wisconsin have been identified.
At least 48 people were injured when Darrell Brooks Jr, 39, drove his SUV through a barricade and into parade attendees, killing five people aged 52 to 81, authorities said.
The victims have been identified as Virginia Sorenson, 79; LeAnna Owens, 71; Tamara Durand, 52, Jane Kulich, 52, and Wilhelm Hospel, 82.
Of the five people who have died, both Virginia Sorenson and LeAnna Owen were members of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, a dance group for grandmothers that has been a fixture in the community for nearly four decades.
Dancing Grannies confirmed on Facebook that members of their group died in the tragedy: ‘Those who died were extremely passionate Grannies. Their eyes gleamed…..joy of being a Grannie. They were the glue….held us together.’
Several other members of the group were badly injured, but expected to make a recovery.
Virginia ‘Ginny’ Sorenson, who had a bad back and bad hip, but still loved to dance, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
Sorenson, a 19-year veteran of the Dancing Grannies, was near the back of the group holding a banner when she was killed. She was a registered nurse, still working part-time in medical records.
A Citizen Bank employee who was walking with a parade float was also among those fatally struck.
Police in Wausheka, Wisconsin, have named Darrell Brooks Jr, 39, as the suspect in the incident. Brooks was allegedly fleeing a domestic disturbance with a report of a knife when he drove through the parade, killing five and injuring over 40, Wausheka Police Chief Dan Thompson said Monday.
Police are drawing up five charges of intentional homicide against Brooks, Thompson said.
This is a breaking news story, check back for updates…