I’m hoping that this was the result of a medical incident, but I strongly suspect that it was not. At least 30 are known to be injured; no reports of fatalities yet.
Nothing graphic linked to this article right now but some scary video of the vehicle speeding. Nothing can really be determined from the video. The driver certainly wasn’t trying to hit everyone he could. It looks like it was driving down the road as if the driver didn’t see a parade at all.
Reports are they have the vehicle and there is a person of interest. It’s not clear if the person of interest is in custody. Press conference at 8:30 ET.
I hope this wasn’t deliberate. It may be a medical issue or confused senior citizen that shouldn’t be driving.
I’ve seen one fatality reported. It could have been much worse.
I was just listening to WTMJ (a Milwaukee news/talk radio station); they were relaying information that, just after 7pm local time, the police had issued a shelter-in-place notice for people in the downtown Waukesha area, which suggests that there may be a suspect at large in that area.
The Waukesha police also said that they already had a “person of interest” in custody.
My apologies; I misundrstood what had been reported. As per this article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Press conference right now. One person confirmed dead, “person of interest” in custody.
Let me speculate: It’s a direct result of the Rittenhouse verdict. Guy was so distraught over the verdict that he went and got drunk, and then this happened.
Is there any other suspected “person of interest” ? Are they still telling the people to be in lockdown? Do they think there’s someone else dangerous out there? (Sorry, I’m not following this live. I get the bulk of my news right here on the Straight Dope Message Board these days, it sometimes seems.)
The police aren’t being crystal clear. One person is confirmed dead, but they said “some fatalities.” It sounded to me like they think thee MIGHT be more than one person involved, but don’t know for sure. The lockdown is over; I believe it was ordered to sweep the scene for evidence, not a concern over additional threats.
Police also said 11 adults and 12 children were taken to hospitals.
The Journal Sentinel breaking news article concurs with the “some fatalities,” and seems to provide an explanation for the less-than-concrete information being released.
I think speculation on motivation and tying it to recent events is barking up the wrong tree. This is not the act of a sane person and I think mental and/or physical illness is going to be involved.
The CNN update to the main story says multiple deaths. It also said an officer fired his weapon at the vehicle. The police say no bystanders were hit by gunfire but it leaves it open for there to be someone shot in the car.
He was probably just committing vehicular homicide in self-defense.
He was defending the auto industry from all those walkers.
One David Kimball on Twitter says:
including 3-second video of the car. Something like gunshots can be heard at the very beginning (or just the sound of breaking through barricades?) Among the subsequent comments, some are questioning whether the gunshots came from the vehicle, or from police shooting at the vehicle, or some of each.
Needless to say, MANY comments are relating this to the Rittenhouse case in one way or another, many sarcastically (e.g., “The judge has already declared this self-defense”, many others saying “self-defense”, “and those aren’t victims”)
Please keep politics out of a breaking news thread as per the posted rule. Depending on what the circumstances become politics may inevitably come into it but until then please keep this to the facts of the incident.
The “firing rifle into the crowd” seems to be just rumor? I don’t see anything close to that on a credible cite.
It’ll be Monday before updates. I assume they have to notify families.
Yes, and perhaps not even reaching the level of a rumor yet? Just what that guy wrote. One of the subsequent comments mentions that a window on the vehicle appears to be shot out. That would tend to suggest that someone outside the vehicle (cops?) shot into the vehicle?