5 dead after vehicle rams into US city parade

UPDATE: Washington, Nov 23 (IANS) A 39-year-old man has been charged with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide for driving into a holiday parade in Waukesha, a city in the US state of Wisconsin, which killed five people and injured over 40 others.

According to the police, suspect Darrell Brooks from Milwaukee has a significant criminal history, reports Xinhua news agency.

He had been free on a $1,000 bail in an earlier criminal case, in which he was accused of running over the mother of his child in the parking lot of a Milwaukee gas station.

Addressing the media, Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said the victims were aged betweem 52 to 81, and there were 18 children, aged from three to 16, among those injured.

Of the 18 injured children, 10 were in the intensive care units and six were in critical condition, Thompson added.

The police said preliminary investigation provided no evidence that the incident had terror links.

The incident took place at around 4.30 p.m. on Sunday in Waukesha, part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area, when an SUV broke through the barriers and sped into the roadway where the Christmas parade was taking place, according to local media reports.

A smartphone video captured the vehicle running through the crowd, hitting pedestrians and accelerating throughout the route.

EARLIER STORY: Washington, Nov 22 (IANS) At least five people were killed and more than 40 others injured after a vehicle rammed into a crowd at an annual holiday parade in Waukesha, a city in the US state of Wisconsin, authorities said on Monday.

On its official Twitter handle, the City of Waukesha said: "At this time, we can confirm that five people are deceased and over 40 are injured. However, these numbers may change as we collect additional information. Many people have self-transported to area hospitals. The Police Department has the person of interest in custody."

It added that the "scene is still fluid, and the investigation is ongoing".

The incident took place at around 4.30 p.m. on Sunday in Waukesha, part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area, when an SUV broke through the barriers and sped into the roadway where the Christmas parade was taking place, according to local media reports.

A smartphone video captured the vehicle running through the crowd, hitting pedestrians and accelerating throughout the route.

Police have shut down nearby streets and urged the public to avoid the downtown area until further notice.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday night, Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson had said that some of the individuals struck by the vehicle were children.

He had also confirmed that a person of interest was in custody, but gave no further details

Meanwhile, a White House official has confirmed that President Joe Biden has been on the incident.

Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly said it was a "traumatic" time for the city, and called the incident a "senseless act".