Waukesha Christmas Parade Suspect To Face Trial

WAUKESHA, WI — The man charged in the death of six people at Waukesha's Christmas parade on Nov. 21 was bound over for trial Friday in a preliminary hearing in Waukesha County Circuit Court.

Court Commissioner Kevin M. Costello found probable cause to order a trial for Darrell Brooks Jr., 39, who is charged with six counts of first-degree intentional homicide. Brooks remains in custody on $5 million cash bail. He is set to be arraigned on Feb. 11. A trial date is pending.

The criminal complaint was amended to include 71 new charges against Brooks. The existing and new charges, according to online court records, included the following.

• First-degree intentional homicide (six counts).
• First-degree recklessly endangering safety (61 counts).
• Hit and run-resulting in death (six counts).
• Felony bail jumping (two counts).
• Misdemeanor battery (two counts).

Jackson Sparks, 8, was the youngest victim to die from the violence. Five others — Virginia Sorenson, 79; LeAnna Owen, 71; Tamara Durand, 52; Jane Kulich, 52; and Wilhelm Hospel, 81 — were also killed. More than 60 people were injured, including children.

Waukesha Detective Thomas Casey, the lead investigator in the case, testified in the preliminary hearing that investigators gathered 65 files with videos from parade witnesses and city cameras showing what happened on Nov. 21.

Parade participants had filled both White Rock and East Main avenues along the parade route when the scene turned deadly.

Paradegoers were spread apart when a detective saw a red Ford Escape speeding southbound on White Rock Avenue.

People began jumping out of the way of the SUV, the complaint said.

Brooks struck numerous pedestrians, including parade participants and spectators lined along the street, the complaint said.

The officer saw the SUV appear to move intentionally side to side, striking multiple people, and bodies and objects flew in the air, the complaint said.

Another officer shot at and struck the car three times in an effort to stop it, the complaint said.

At no point did Brooks check on any of the victims or return to the scene, Casey said. Brooks was taken into custody in the 500 block of Elizabeth Street.

During a police interrogation, Brooks refused to look at pictures and videos of the parade incident, Casey said. Brooks said, "I didn't mean to kill nobody," according to Casey.

Officials did not find a defect in the SUV that would render it unable to stop or accelerate, Casey testified.