Summary Statement

On Sunday, November 21st 2021, at approximately 1639 hours, a lone individual allegedly drove a sport utility vehicle (SUV) at high speed through a Christmas parade that was in progress on Main Street in Waukesha, Wisconsin. 

Attack Overview

The incident occurred during the annual Christmas parade, when a red SUV rammed through the westbound barriers and drove down Main Street, just behind a school marching band.  Open source outlets reported eyewitnesses claiming that the red SUV was moving at approximately 40 m.p.h as it entered the parade route.

Initial media reports indicated that the suspect fired shots from within the vehicle; however, local law enforcement authorities later stated that this was not the case, clarifying that during the incident, a police officer fired his weapon at the SUV in an attempt to stop the vehicle. No bystanders were injured as a result of the firearm discharge.

As a result of the incident, a “shelter in place” warning was issued by the Waukesha Police Department at approximately 7:05pm (local time) and was later lifted at 8:08pm (local time).  A person of interest was detained shortly after the incident and a motive is still being established at this time.

Suspect

Darrell Brooks, 39, of Milwaukee, has been identified as the driver of the red Ford Escape.  Brooks, also known by his rap moniker MathBoi Fly, was out on bail for an incident that occurred two days ago and has numerous prior convictions.

Open-sources also report that Brooks was involved in an incident near the parade and was fleeing from that location when he entered the parade route. 

Additional Details

Local law enforcement along with the FBI are still investigating the incident which comes after a tumultuous week in the state of Wisconsin following the conclusion of the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse. There are no initial indications that the incident is in any way related.  Kenosha is located 50 miles southeast of Waukesha. 

The investigation is ongoing and local law enforcement officials maintained that there is no evidence at this time indicating a nexus to terrorism. Authorities have interviewed Brook’s relatives, who indicated that he suffers from mental illness and has no known affiliation with any violent extremist ideology.

Threat Assessment

While a specific motive remains unknown at this time, this vehicular incident—the deadliest pedestrian striking of its kind in the U.S. since 2017—underscores that densely populated parades and other outdoor events near roadways can be vulnerable to mass casualty collisions and highlights why such gatherings remain an attractive target for attack. These locations are also at risk of unintentional vehicle collisions involving intoxicated drivers and/or those recklessly attempting to flee a scene, demonstrating the criticality of pre-staged blocker cars and the deployment of other countermeasures including heavy block, barriers, and bollards. While a wide range of extremists and malicious actors have employed vehicle-ramming in prior assaults, homegrown violent extremists inspired by ISIS and al-Qa’ida in particular have leveraged this tactic in mass casualty attacks targeting holiday celebrations, including Christmas events.

VFC Shield reminds members to be vigilant!  Information sharing and prompt reporting of suspicious behavior indicators between the public, private-sector security personnel, and law enforcement are vital to the deterrence, detection, and disruption of terrorist activity and the prevention of attacks.