The man convicted of killing six attendees of a Wisconsin Christmas parade last year was sentenced Wednesday to six life sentences in prison with no possibility of parole.
41-year-old Darrell Brooks Jr. ran an SUV through a crowd gathering at an annual Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, causing six deaths and injuring 62 others.
“There is nothing, no other word, that can best describe what happened on Nov. 21 of 2021 other than the word ‘attack,'” Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow said at the sentencing as Brooks reportedly glared and created mischief during the proceedings.
Brooks was reportedly kicked out of the courtroom during his trial for frequent outbursts and was at one point fighting with a jurist.
He later apologized for his conduct during the trial.
“There was a part of me that felt that I haven’t been able to defend myself. I think it was just the pot boiling over. I was wrong for not being able to control myself the times that I wasn’t me,” he said.
In one of many emotional moments during the trial, Waukesha County Judge Jennifer R. Dorow tearfully read remarks from the mother of victim Jackson Sparks, who said his brother Tucker blames himself for his brother’s death.
“It’s not your fault, Tucker. It’s Mr. Brooks’ fault,” said an emotional Judge Dorow.
"It's not your fault, Tucker. It's Mr. Brooks' fault."
Judge Dorow addresses Jackson Sparks' mother's comments on how his brother Tucker blames himself for his brother's death. pic.twitter.com/B75fobcNMZ
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) November 16, 2022
“There is nothing, no other word, that can best describe what happened on Nov. 21 of 2021 other than the word ‘attack,’” Dorrow said during the trial. “I searched for a mitigating factor in this case. I waited patiently for an apology, a true apology. I didn’t get it, and not for my benefit. But for the victims.”
“There is no medication or treatment for a heart that is bent on evil,” she said.
“Child trauma, bipolar, indifference, physical abuse of a child or even childhood trauma did not cause Darrell Brooks to commit the acts for which he will be sentenced here today. It is very clear to this court that he understands the difference between right and wrong, and that he simply chooses to ignore his conscience. He is fueled by anger and rage.”
“Some people, unfortunately, choose a path of evil. And I think, Mr. Brooks, you are one of those such persons. As a mom, my heart breaks for your family,” she added.
Brooks allegedly had a history of plowing people with vehicles before he committed the mass murder at the Christmas parade; the now-convicted man ran a woman over shortly before the massacre, only to be let out with a bail of merely $1,000.
