The city of Waukesha has announced it will be removing the memorial that was erected for the victims of the Waukesha Christmas Parade killing. The city said it will be removing the items on Wednesday, accompanied by a ceremony. According to Wisc News, the city will be considering requests to install a permanent memorial sometime in the new year.
On November 21, Darrell Brooks allegedly crashed his red SUV into the annual Waukesha Christmas parade, killing six and sending over 60 others to the hospital, The Wisconsin Daily Star reported.
Brooks is being held on a $5 million bail and is awaiting his trial for six counts of homicide. Brooks allegedly committed the killings after being released a few days prior on $1,000 bail. He also had a long criminal history, spanning over two decades.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Cedric Cornwall “approved a $1,000 bail for Brooks in early November after he was accused of running over the mother of his child with the same red SUV he used to kill six participants in the Waukesha Christmas Parade on November 21. Cornwall approved the low amount of cash bail despite Brooks’ past conviction of bail jumping in 2020,” The Daily Star reported.
Cornwall has since been reassigned and calls have been made for his resignation.
A memorial had been set up at Waukesha’s Veterans Park, honoring the 6 victims who died and the others who were hospitalized. First Lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff visited the memorial last week.
While in #Waukesha, I drove past the memorial from the #parade victims.
(People were ran into by a high speed vehicle.) pic.twitter.com/Hg7OdZArPd— •~~•Kelley•~~• (@KelleysCreation) December 22, 2021
The memorial has six crosses, flowers, candles, and teddy bears, as well as baseballs, to honor Jackson Sparks, the child who was killed while marching with his baseball team in the parade.
Wisc News reported Waukesha city staff as well as the Waukesha County Historical Society are planning to collect and preserve the items used in the memorial.
– – –
Hayley Feland is a reporter with The Minnesota Sun and The Wisconsin Daily Star | Star News Network. Follow Hayley on Twitter or like her Facebook page. Send news tips to [email protected].
Photo “Waukesha Memorial” by Kelley.
