The alleged perpetrator, who raced into a Christmas parade in the United States in an off-road vehicle, has been charged with five murders. The prosecutor said on Tuesday during a court hearing in the small town of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Because a child has now succumbed to his injuries and there are six fatalities, the indictment will probably be expanded. In addition, because of the around 60 injured, some of whom were still in mortal danger, further charges could follow, said a prosecutor.
The bail attorney Kevin Costello set the amount to be deposited for the defendant Darrell B. in view of his criminal record from several states at five million dollars (4.4 million euros). “The nature of this act is shocking,” he said of the Waukesha incident.
According to a family donation website, the child who died in hospital on Tuesday, according to prosecutors, is an eight-year-old boy whose twelve-year-old brother was also injured. This should be released from the hospital on Wednesday, it said there.
If found guilty, the 39-year-old suspect would face life imprisonment for each of the five charges. He is charged with “deliberate first degree homicide” under Wisconsin law. In German law, that would correspond most closely to the offense of murder.
Six children are still in mortal danger
The responsible children’s hospital in nearby Milwaukee confirmed the boy’s death and said 13 children are currently being treated. Six of them were in mortal danger. Two injured children were released on Monday.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the alleged perpetrator has several previous convictions, was already imprisoned and has to answer to the judiciary in pending proceedings. He was arrested for assault only a few days before the incident and was released shortly after on $ 1,000 bail.
It is still not known why the SUV was driven into the crowd on Sunday during the Christmas parade. In the indictment, two police officers who were there are quoted as saying that the perpetrator’s driving behavior suggests that he intentionally drove into the crowd.
During the Waukesha Christmas Parade, people in the center of town lined both sides of the street on Sunday afternoon. The annual event in the suburb of the big city Milwaukee traditionally attracts dance groups, high school bands, politicians and numerous spectators. Many families with children also attended the parade on Sunday and marveled at Christmas figures, dancers and musicians.