Waukesha parade victims named including three members of Dancing Grannies group

Published

3 years ago

November 23, 2021

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Three members of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies group are among five people dead after a US Christmas parade turned to tragedy.

The group had been performing in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Sunday afternoon when Darrell E Brooks allegedly drove his Ford Escape into the parade.

Virginia Sorenson, 79, LeAnna Owen, 71, and Tamara Durand, 52, were killed along with Wilhelm Hospel, 81, whose wife Lola was part of the group.

Also killed was bank employee Jane Kulich, 52.

The Dancing Grannies had been founded in 1984 and usually performed 25 times a year, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The newspaper described the group as “an act…who with their pom-poms, sense of humour and moxie have entertained crowds across the area for decades”.

Mrs Sorenson, a nurse, was a 19-year veteran of the group and, with her husband, had three children and six grandchildren.

Mrs Durand, a former teacher who cared for her grandson four days a week so her daughter could attend nursing school, was making her debut with the group.

Her husband David told the Journal Sentinel: “She danced her way through life

“She danced when there was no music. She always danced. That describes her personality.”

Ms Owen managed a 32-unit apartment complex and was described as someone who “didn’t have a mean bone in her body”.

On Facebook the group said its members were “devastated by the terrible tragedy”.

They added: “Our group was doing what they loved, performing in front of crowds in a parade putting smile on faces of all ages, filling them with joy and happiness.

Eyewitness by Joe Pike, news correspondent

Twenty-four hours after the people of Waukesha came together to celebrate at its Christmas parade, local residents returned to remember.

This time the authorities took no chances, using trucks to block the roads as thousands gathered on Monday evening for a candlelit vigil in the town’s Cutler Park.

Parents held their children close, some with tears trickling down their faces.

Local civic and religious leaders spoke of the strength and resilience of the community, but conceded some are still in a state of shock.

There were prayers for the five people killed, and for the many more still in hospital, some in a critical condition.

If you walk up Main Street, however, there is little sign that this was the scene of tragedy. Police tape has been taken down. The roads have been cleaned.

Waukesha is a commuter town, a suburb of Milwaukee, where everyone seems to know someone affected. I spoke to business owners who struggled with their emotions as they recounted what they witnessed.

The one name all avoided mentioning was Darrell Brooks, a man in custody who police say they plan to charge with five counts of intentional first degree homicide.

“While performing, the grannies enjoyed hearing the crowds’ cheers and applause which certainly brought smiles to their faces and warmed their hearts.”

Those who died had been “extremely passionate Grannies” and were “the glue (that) held us together”, the post said.

Mr Hospel often helped the group, ferrying dancers to various performance venues and making sure everyone had what they needed.

And Ms Kulich was remembered in an online fundraising page as a “loving, beautiful, and charismatic mother, grandmother and friend to so many”.

A vigil was held on Monday night, as a further nine victims – most of them children – remained in hospital, two of them in critical condition and seven listed as serious.

They were among almost 50 people injured in the incident.

Hundreds of people gathered at a park, holding candles, as volunteers handed out food and hot chocolate.

Amanda Medina Roddy, representing the Waukesha school district, said: “We are parents. We are neighbours. We are hurting. We are angry. We are sad. We are confused. We are thankful. We are all in this together. We are Waukesha strong.”

Meanwhile, police revealed that Brooks, 39, had left the scene of a domestic disturbance before he allegedly drove into the parade.

Police had not been chasing him at the time, police chief Dan Thompson said, adding that the Milwaukee resident is likely to face five charges of intentional homicide.

Brooks remains in police custody.

US

Donald Trump on day one: Pace of change ‘like nothing you’ve seen in history’, warns campaign official

Published

10 hours ago

November 21, 2024

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Donald Trump on day one: Pace of change 'like nothing you've seen in history', warns campaign official

Within hours of taking office, president-elect Donald Trump plans to begin rolling out policies including large-scale deportations, according to his transition team.

Sky News partner network NBC News has spoken with more than half a dozen people familiar with the executive orders that his team plans to enact.

One campaign official said changes are expected at a pace that is “like nothing you’ve seen in history”, to signal a dramatic break from President Joe Biden’s administration.

Mr Trump is preparing on day one to overturn specific policies put in place by Mr Biden. Among the measures, reported by sources close to the transition team, are:

• The speedy and large-scale deportations of illegal immigrants

• Ending travel reimbursement for military members seeking abortion care

• Restricting transgender service members’ access to gender-affirming care

But much of the first day is likely to focus on stopping illegal immigration – the centrepiece of Trump’s candidacy. He is expected to sign up to five executive orders aimed at dealing with that issue alone after he is sworn in on 20 January.

“There will without question be a lot of movement quickly, likely day one, on the immigration front,” a top Trump ally said.

“There will be a push to make a huge early show and assert himself to show his campaign promises were not hollow.”

But Mr Trump’s campaign pledges also could be difficult to implement.

Deporting people on the scale he wants will be a logistical challenge that could take years. Questions also remain about promised tax cuts.

Meanwhile, his pledge to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in just 24 hours would be near impossible.

Even so, advisers based at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort or at nearby offices in West Palm Beach, Florida, are reportedly strategising about ending the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Following his decisive victory on 5 November, the president-elect has moved swiftly to build a cabinet and senior White House team.

As of Thursday, he had selected more than 30 people for senior positions in his administration, compared with just three at a similar point in his 2016 transition.

Stephen Moore, a senior economic adviser in Mr Trump’s campaign, told NBC News: “The thing to realise is Trump is no dummy.

“He knows he’s got two to three years at most to get anything done. And then he becomes a lame duck and we start talking about [the presidential election in] 2028.”

US

Trump pick Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration to be US attorney general

Published

14 hours ago

November 21, 2024

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Trump pick Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration to be US attorney general

Donald Trump ally Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the next US attorney general.

Mr Gaetz, a controversial pick to be the country’s top legal official, said his selection was “unfairly becoming a distraction” to the transition of Mr Trump’s administration into the White House.

The Florida Republican had faced significant scrutiny over a federal investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving a 17-year-old girl.

He said in a post on the X social media platform: “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as attorney general. Trump’s DOJ (Department of Justice) must be in place and ready on Day 1.

“I remain fully committed to seeing that Donald Trump is the most successful president in history. I will forever be honoured that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”

Mr Trump said in a post on his own social media site, Truth Social, that Mr Gaetz had a “wonderful future”.

“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General,” he wrote.

“He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the administration, for which he has much respect.”

Mr Gaetz previously faced a nearly three-year Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving a 17-year-old girl, which ended in February 2023 without him facing any criminal charges.

He has always denied the allegations.

He has also been under scrutiny by the House Ethics Committee over wider allegations including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and accepting improper gifts.

The inquiry was dropped on Wednesday 13 November when Mr Gaetz left Congress – the only forum where the committee has jurisdiction.

The Senate ethics committee is deadlocked on whether their report can be released.

Mr Gaetz’s withdrawal is a blow to Mr Trump’s push to install steadfast loyalists in his incoming administration and the first sign that he could face resistance from members of his own party.

US

Dad who called 911 for help during break-in killed by Las Vegas police officer

Published

17 hours ago

November 21, 2024

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Dad who called 911 for help during break-in killed by Las Vegas police officer

A 43-year-old man was shot dead by police after calling 911 to report intruders had entered his home in Las Vegas.

Brandon Durham was at home with his 15-year-old daughter when he called the emergency line to report armed intruders were trying to break into his property on 12 November.

Bodycam footage shows Mr Durham struggling with a person over a knife in the moments before he was shot and killed at the scene.

“The loss of life in any type of incident like this is always tragic, and it’s something we take very seriously,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said on Thursday.

The force is investigating the incident.

Mr Durham called 911 to report multiple people were outside shooting at his residence in Las Vegas’ Sunset Park neighbourhood, where he had been staying with his 15-year-old daughter, Sky News’ US partner network NBC reports.

It was one of multiple emergency calls reporting a shooting in the area.

Mr Durham then said someone had managed to get into his home through the front and back doors of the property and he was locking himself in the bathroom, according to a police statement from 14 November, two days after the incident.

Officers reported to the scene at approximately 12:40am and could hear screaming from inside the residence.

One of the officers, Alexander Bookman, kicked open the front door and once inside, saw Mr Durham and another individual, later identified as 31-year-old Alejandra Boudreaux, struggling over a knife in a doorway.

Mr Bookman ordered them to drop the knife and about two seconds later, the officer fired the gun and Mr Durham appeared to be struck, the bodycam footage shows.

Both Mr Durham and Mr Boudreaux fell to the ground and the officer fired another five shots. Roughly three seconds are believed to have gone by between the first and last shot, NBC reports.

Attempts were made to save the 43-year-old but he died at the scene.

Ms Boudreaux was taken into custody and is facing charges of home invasion with a deadly weapon; assault with a deadly weapon domestic violence; willful or wanton disregard of safety of persons resulting in death; and child abuse, neglect or endangerment.