Darrell Brooks Jr.: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Darrell Brooks Jr. is a Milwaukee man who was taken into custody in connection with the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy in Wisconsin on November 21, 2021, according to police. At least five people were killed and 48 were injured.

The 39-year-old Brooks was identified by Waukesha Police Chief Daniel Thompson at a press conference on November 22, 2021, as the suspect in the tragedy. Thompson said Brooks was driving the SUV and had been involved in a domestic disturbance not long before he is accused of driving into the holiday parade route and had left that scene before police arrived. He was not being chased by officers before entering the parade route, Thompson said.

Thompson said Brooks was alone in the SUV and the incident is not believed to have been an act of terrorism. Brooks will be charged with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide, along with other charges, Thompson said. He identified the victims as Virginia Sorenson, 79; Leanna Owens, 71; Tamara Durand, 52; James Coolidge, 52; and Wilhelm Hospel, 82.

Brooks’ social media accounts and online court records show that he is an aspiring rap singer with a lengthy criminal history and two open felony cases in which he was released on $500 and $1,000 bail, the latter just days before the parade deaths.

Before Thompson’s press conference officially identifying Brooks, NBC News reported that five law enforcement sources told the outlet Brooks was “the individual in custody as a person of interest and is being questioned by law enforcement in connection with the vehicle incident in Waukesha.” When Brooks was detained, police found a Ford key on him, according to scanner audio obtained by Heavy.

Police squad cars were at a Milwaukee address used by Brooks after his name was mentioned on the scanner in connection with the Waukesha parade incident in which at least 48 people, including many children, were injured when a red Ford Escape plowed through the crowd. He complained of shoulder pain when taken into custody.

Heavy confirmed that two Milwaukee police squads were outside the home listed to Brooks on N. 19th St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Heavy also obtained audio from the scanner indicating Waukesha police obtained an ID in the name Darrell Brooks Jr. inside the red Ford Escape they recovered in connection with the Waukesha parade investigation. Brooks had prolific social media accounts, but some have already been deleted.

According to an announcement by the City of Waukesha late on November 21, five people had died and more than 40 were injured in the incident. “However, these numbers may change as we collect additional information. Many people have self-transported to area hospitals,” the city shared. The dead included members of the Dancing Grannies, an iconic group of senior citizens who dance in parades, the group confirmed on Facebook.

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