‘Dancing Grannies’ Among Dead In WI Christmas Parade SUV Collision

Nov 22, 2021

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WAUKESHA COUNTY, WI. (THECOUNT) — Members of a dance troupe, Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, were identified as victims killed when an SUV plowed through crowds marching in an annual Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

As of now, five people have died and more than 40 injured, including children, during the incident in the small city of Waukesha at around 4:40 p.m. local time on Sunday, authorities said.

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Among those fatal victims included members of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies group, but it was not immediately unclear how many.

“Our group was doing what they loved, performing in front of crowds in a parade putting smiles on faces of all ages, filling them with joy and happiness. While performing the grannies enjoyed hearing the crowds cheers and applause which certainly brought smiles to their faces and warmed their hearts,” the group posted on its Facebook page Monday.

“Those who died were extremely passionate Grannies. Their eyes gleamed…..joy of being a Grannie. They were the glue….held us together,” the group added.

The troupe — which describes itself on its Facebook page as a “group of grannies that meet once a week to practice routines for summer and winter parades” — said that it was “devasted [sic] by this terrible tradegy [sic] with of loss of life and injuries in the Waukesha Christmas parade,” reports Insider.

Police have said that authorities have detained a person of interest in connection with the deadly incident.

A motive for the horror was not yet clear.

Video has emerged showing the moment a red SUV plowed through a crowd attending a Christmas parade Sunday night in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.

The video was released on social media by local media outlets.

One person is confirmed dead and more than 20 people were injured after the SUV sped into people attending the Christmas parade in suburban Milwaukee on Sunday.

A live video feed of the parade from the city of Waukesha showed a red SUV breaking through barriers and speeding into the roadway where the parade was taking place, reports ABC7.

Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson says the suspect’s vehicle has been recovered, and the investigation is ongoing.

Angelito Tenorio, a West Allis alderman who is running for Wisconsin state treasurer, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 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, and just deafening cries and screams from people who are who are struck by the vehicle,” Tenorio said. “And then, and then we saw people running away or stopping crying, and there, there are people on the ground who looked like they’d been hit by the vehicle.”

The victims were taken to area hospitals.

Governor Tony Evers said on Twitter that he is praying for the families and all community members who were involved.

Thompson says there are no other threats to the community, and the scene is now safe.

Police say a person of interest is being looked at.

The FBI and local authorities are investigating the incident.

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Geo quick facts: Waukesha County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 389,891, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat is Waukesha. Waukesha County is included in the Milwaukee–Waukesha–West Allis, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area – Wikipedia.