At least five people have died and more than 40 others have been injured after a car drove through a Christmas parade in the United States.
An SUV ploughed into crowds attending the festive event in Waukesha, Wisconsin on Sunday at around 4.40pm local time.
Footage shows the vehicle speeding through the large groups of people who had gathered to watch the holiday parade.
Dozens of spectators were struck, including a number of children who have been hospitalised.
The City of Waukesha confirmed on Monday morning that several people had been fatally and seriously injured following the incident, and that one person has been arrested.
They said on Twitter: “At this time, we can confirm that 5 people are deceased and over 40 are injured. However, these numbers may change as we collect additional information. Many people have self-transported to area hospitals. The Police Department has the person of interest in custody.”
(Image: Zuma Press/PA Images)
They added: “The scene is still fluid, and the investigation is ongoing. The community mourns the loss of our community members and those injured. We are asking for the community to come together during this time and to keep the families in your prayers.”
Police chief Dan Thompson said that one officer “discharged their firearm to stop the vehicle”.
He added that “the investigation is still fluid” but that a “suspect vehicle” had been recovered and a person of interest was in police custody.
Shawn Reilly, who was elected as Waukesha’s Mayor in 2014, said: “Today our community faced horror and tragedy in what should have been a community celebration.”
“I am deeply saddened to know that so many in our community went to a parade but ended up dealing with injury and heartache.”
He added that it was a “traumatic” time for the city and that his “heart goes out to all those affected by this senseless act”.
The White House has since released a statement on the incident.
It said: “The White House is closely monitoring the situation in Waukesha and our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by this terrible incident. We have reached out to state and local officials to offer any support and assistance as needed.”
One eyewitness at the parade recounted the “horrifying” moment the SUV drove into the crowd.
“He’s just blowing through people, kind of just dinging a lot of people, bodies flying everywhere,” Brayden Kowalski told Fox News.
“These people didn’t get run over, they got f***ing thrown through the air. Like a lot of people got tossed up into the air.
“There were quite a few people with broken limbs, like a lot of broken legs, a lot of people shouting with broken legs. It was horrifying.”
“This is the
