SUV drives through Christmas parade in Wisconsin, injuring at least 20: police – National | Globalnews.ca

More than 20 people were injured in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Sunday after an SUV crashed through a crowded Christmas parade, according to the local police chief.

Waukesha Police Chief Daniel Thompson said the area is now safe and they have located the vehicle involved, and there is a person of interest, though he didn’t give more details.

“A red SUV drove into our Christmas parade that we were holding downtown. More than 20 individuals were injured as a result of this incident,” Thompson told reporters.

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Vehicle seen speeding in Waukesha Christmas parade amid reports of injuries

Thompson said some of the injured were taken to hospital by ambulance, others police and some by family and friends.

Mayor Shawn Reilly told WITI in Milwaukee that he did not believe there was any current danger to the public.

Videos of the incident have flooded social media, showing the SUV moving through a crowd of young dancers and a marching band from behind.

One social media video shows police appearing to open fire at the moving vehicle after it crashed through a street barricade.

The Facebook live feed of the parade showed the vehicle speeding through and a person chasing it from behind.

The incident occurred shortly before 5 p.m., according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Waukesha is about 32 km west of Milwaukee.

Angelito Tenorio, a West Allis alderman who is running for Wisconsin state treasurer, said that he was watching the parade with his family when they saw the SUV come speeding into the area.

“Then we heard a loud bang,” Tenorio said. “And after that, we just heard deafening cries and screams from the crowd, from the people at the parade. And people started rushing, running away with tears in their eyes crying.”

Tenorio said he saw about 10 people, both children and adults, on the ground.

“It just happened so fast,” he said. “It was pretty horrifying.”

Another witness estimated the SUV was going about 64 km/h when it hit the crowd of people, with at least one going over the hood, to WISN-TV, an ABC affiliate.

A woman told Fox6 TV station the SUV hit a dance team of girls between nine and 15 years old. She said the immediate reaction was silence, followed by screaming, running and checking on those injured, Fox6 reported.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers tweeted that him and his wife are “praying for Waukesha tonight and all the kids, families, and community members affected by this senseless act.”

“I’m grateful for the first responders and folks who acted quickly to help, and we are in contact with local partners as we await more information.”

Carroll University, located in Waekesha, tweeted that its campus has been put on lockdown due to the incident.

-More to come

-With files from Reuters and the Associated Press