Waukesha parade suspect facing 71 new charges

The man who allegedly drove an SUV into a Wisconsin parade last year was charged with 71 new counts on Wednesday, according to an amended criminal complaint obtained by CBS affiliate WDJT. Darrell Brooks now faces a total of 77 charges in the incident that left six people dead and dozens more injured.

The charges include six counts of first-degree intentional homicide, 61 counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and six counts of hit and run involving death. He also faces two domestic abuse charges, which are classified as misdemeanors, and two bail-jumping felony counts. 

On November 21, Brooks allegedly intentionally plowed a red SUV into a holiday parade in Waukesha. Six people were killed. The medical examiner found that five victims died of multiple blunt force injuries, and the sixth, a child, died of “Craniocerebral Injures from blunt force trauma to the head,” the complaint said. More than 60 people were injured, including at least 18 children, authorities said. The severity of their injuries varied.

According to the complaint, Brooks hit people from eight different groups participating in the parade, as well as spectators, in a 5-block span.

An inspection into the vehicle found all necessary functions to be fully operating at the time of the incident, according to the complaint. A detective said at times, Brooks, who appeared to have “no emotion on his face,” drove with his head leaned out of the window because there were bodies on the windshield blocking his view. 

“At no time did Brooks, as the operator of the SUV involved in the multiple collisions, make any reasonable effort to investigate what was struck, and that he failed to stop the vehicle as close to the scene of the accident as possible, and did not remain at the scene of the accident,” the complaint states. 

According to court records, Brooks has a long criminal history, including an incident in which he allegedly ran over his child’s mother with the same vehicle he drove through the parade. Police said that moments before the parade, Brooks had left the scene of a domestic dispute. 

He is being held on a $5 million bond.

The FBI and local authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.