Flags to Fly Half-Staff as Waukesha Marks 3 Years Since Parade Tragedy

WAUKESHA, Wis. (Civic Media) — Governor Tony Evers has ordered flags to fly at half-staff on Thursday, Nov. 21, marking the third anniversary of the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack.

The order honors the six victims killed when Darrell Brooks Jr. drove his SUV through the parade on Nov. 21, 2021. Those remembered are Tamara Durand, 52; Wilhelm Hospel, 81; Jane Kulich, 52; Leanna Owen, 71; Virginia Sorenson, 79; and Jackson Sparks, 8.

“The Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy three years ago shook the Waukesha community and folks across our state and country,” Evers said.

A dedication ceremony for the Parade Memorial at Grede Park is scheduled for 4:39 p.m. on the anniversary. The centerpiece of the $1.5 million memorial is a six-sided heart sculpture, symbolizing the six lives lost.

We invite the community to join together for the Dedication Ceremony of the Parade Memorial at Grede Park on Thurs., Nov. 21 at 4:39pm. This is the third anniversary of the tragedy.https://t.co/tQT62Rw8le #WaukeshaParadeMemorial #Waukesha #WaukeshaStrong #WaukeshaCommunity pic.twitter.com/aXnoTt4TCb

— cityofwaukesha (@CityofWaukesha) November 20, 2024

The United for Waukesha Resiliency Center will provide resources and support at the event. A road closure on Wisconsin Avenue between W. St. Paul Avenue and N. West Avenue will begin at 3:30 p.m., with limited handicap parking available at Grede Park.

Evers emphasized the community’s resilience, stating, “Waukesha and Wisconsin remain ‘Waukesha Strong'”.

The governor’s executive order will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.