We’ are going to begin with a community reeling in grief following a horrific attack at its annual Christmas parade. There’s a vigil being held tonight in close-knit Milwaukee suburb for the victims of the rampage. Families and community leaders struggling to make sense of what happened. Five people were killed and nearly fifty others injured when a man plowed his SUV through barricades and drove along the Christmas parade route. In a few terrifying moments, the joyous event shockingly transformed into chaos. The dead range in age from 52 to 81 years old, and they include four members of Milwaukee’s dancing grannies. Many children are also among the wounded, and several are fighting for their lives tonight. We learned that the driver now facing intentional homicide charges, was out on bond after he allegedly punched the mother of his child and intentionally ran her over with the same vehicle at a gas station earlier this month. Now the community is trying to heal after horror came to this year’s holiday parade, its theme, comfort and joy. Brooks, faces five counts of first degree of intentional homicide, will make his court appearance tomorrow.
The oldest victim W.H was 81, J.K and T.D was 52, V.S and L.O were in their 70s. Four of them were members of the beloved local group known as the Dancing Grannies. This summer, they had told our Milwaukee affiliate CBS 58, how much the group meant to them. At least 48 people were wounded. Injuries ranged from scraped faces to serious head wounds and broken bones. Among the injured, there are at least eighteen children who were taken to the hospital. Six of them are in critical condition tonight in the ICU, including eleven years old J.T, who is seen dancing here in the parade, she is still in the ICU, according to her uncle. There were also three sets of siblings, young kids all hurt. The Christmas parade was put on hold last year due to Covid.
:::tip vigil
- an event or a period of time when a person or group stays in a place and quietly waits, prays, etc., especially at night. 守夜
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:::tip close-knit
- bound together by intimate social or cultural ties or by close economic or political ties. 紧密结合的
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:::tip plow
- to cleave the surface of or move through (water or barricade). 费力穿过
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