Prosecutors in Wisconsin have filed a sixth murder charge against a man accused of deliberately driving his SUV through a Christmas parade in Waukesha earlier this month, killing six people and injuring more than 60 others.
According to authorities, 39-year-old Darrell Brooks now faces a sixth charge of first-degree intentional homicide in the case. He had already been charged in connection to the deaths of five other individuals in the incident, but a sixth charge was added after 8-year-old Jackson Sparks died from his injuries in the day following the Nov. 21 crash.
Each of the charges comes with a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to officials.
An 81-year-old man, a 79-year-old woman and a 71-year-old woman were also among the five killed, police said at a news conference. The other victims were two 52-year-old women. Members of the “Milwaukee Dancing Grannies” club were among those killed, as was an employee of Citizens Bank.
Prosecutors have requested a $5 million cash bail for the suspect in the case, citing his extensive criminal history and the seriousness of the charges.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Waukesha County court Tuesday, at least 62 people were hurt when the suspect "intentionally drove his maroon SUV through barricades into a crowd of people."
Police had originally announced that 48 individuals had been injured, but the complaint bumped that number up to 62.
How to Help Victims of Waukesha Christmas Parade Tragedy
According to the criminal complaint, multiple officers attempted to stop the vehicle at different points on the parade route, with one officer firing three gunshots at the vehicle.
Both officers cited in the complaint say that it appeared the driver was deliberately trying to hit pedestrians and made no effort to avoid any of the collisions that occurred.
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Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson during a press conference last week said officers were not pursuing the suspect when he entered the parade route, however, an officer did fire at least three shots to try to stop him but ceased firing because of the danger to others.
Thompson said there is no evidence the crash was a terrorist attack.
Law enforcement sources earlier told NBC News Brooks was involved in a domestic stabbing incident before the crash, with the complaint confirming that he had been involved in an altercation.
It was not clear who the victim was and the exact circumstances surrounding the incident were not yet clear, and no charges have been filed outside of the six counts of intentional homicide.
