Sixth Waukesha Victim Is an 8-Year-Old Boy

Suspect Darrell Brooks was charged with homicide in first court appearance
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 23, 2021 6:14 PM CST
Waukesha Suspect Charged With 5 Counts of Homicide
Darrell Brooks, center, is escorted out of the courtroom after making his initial appearance, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021 in Waukesha County Court in Waukesha, Wis.   (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

The man accused of driving an SUV into a Christmas parade in Waukesha was charged with five counts of intentional homicide Tuesday—and the charges still to come will include a sixth count. Relatives say 8-year-old Jackson Sparks died from his injuries at Children's Hospital Wisconsin Tuesday, the AP reports. He had been walking in the parade with his 12-year-old brother, Tucker, who is still hospitalized with injuries including a fractured skull. "This afternoon, our dear Jackson has sadly succumbed to his injuries and passed away," a relative wrote on a GoFundMe page Tuesday. The other five victims were all adults, including members of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies group.

Darrell Brooks, 39, wore a suicide-prevention gown during a court appearance Tuesday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Prosecutors said more than 60 people were injured during the horrific incident Sunday. Court documents stated that an officer who tried to stop Brooks saw him rapidly accelerate before driving into the crowd of parade participants. It became clear to the officer "that this was an intentional act to strike and hurt as many people as possible." The officer "observed the vehicle appeared to be intentionally moving side to side, striking multiple people, and bodies and objects were flying from the area of the vehicle."

District Attorney Sue Opper, citing Brooks' extensive criminal record, asked for bail to be set at $5 million, reports the Journal Sentinel. "It's extraordinarily high, but it's an extraordinarily big case," said Court Commissioner Kevin Costello, per NBC. Brooks had been free on just $1,000 bail in a case earlier this month in which he was accused of running a woman over. Opper said more charges, including a sixth homicide count, could be filed as soon as Friday. (More Waukesha parade stories.)

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