An SUV sped up and hit people attending a Christmas parade – “Interested person” in custody – It is not yet clear if this was a terrorist act
A red SUV crashed into unsuspecting people on Sunday, including little schoolgirls with a pom-pom, who took part in a traditional Christmas parade in Wokesson , Wisconsin (northern USA), injuring more than 20 people, according to the police.
Dan Thompson, the police chief in the town of 72,000, some 32 miles (32 km) from Milwaukee , said an interested person had been taken into custody and that the used car was in the hands of authorities.
“The vehicle hit more than 20 people. “Many of the victims are children and there are some deaths, ” Mr Thompson told reporters.
Warning: hard video
When asked how many were killed, the police chief limited himself to saying ” I do not have an exact number at the moment”. He added that it was not yet clear whether it was a terrorist act .
He noted that the order given to citizens in the city center to seek the nearest shelter has now been lifted.
Mr. Thompson confirmed that at least one police officer opened fire on the red SUV , without injuring any of the people who attended or watched the parade. He added that as far as he knows, there was no fire inside the vehicle.
In a video posted on social networking sites, the SUV is depicted moving fast towards the ears of people parading and hitting more than ten. Spectators run to offer help. In another video, a police officer is pictured shooting at the car before it falls on bars set up for the parade.
A woman told local television station Fox6 that the SUV mainly hit schoolgirls aged 9 to 15, members of a dance group that took part in the parade. It was reported that there was silence at first, then screams were heard and people started running to the spot to help, Fox6 reported.
According to another eyewitness, the car had developed a speed of between 60 and 70 kilometers when it hit people.
The injured were taken to hospital by ambulance, patrol cars and cars of relatives and friends. The Wisconsin Children’s Hospital reported via Twitter that 15 people had been admitted by 20:00, of whom no one had succumbed.
Schools in Wokesa will remain closed today and psychologists will be available for students who may need support, the local education directorate said.
In 2016, a truck crashed into a Christmas market in Berlin , killing 12 people. The Islamic State (IS) jihadist organization claimed responsibility. Earlier that year, a truck crashed into a crowd on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, killing 84 people. The IK also took responsibility.
The Wokesa tragedy came at the end of a week marked by tensions in Wisconsin, where young far-right Kyle Ritenhaus was acquitted in his trial of the murders of two men amid riots during anti-police violence in Kenomitra, just 80 km away.
