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On Wednesday, November 17, Darrell Brooks was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of extended supervision. The Waukesha Parade attacker was convicted last month for driving his red Ford Escape through the Christmas parade.
Last month, Darrell Brooks, 40, was found guilty on 76 counts, including six counts of intentional homicide, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison. On Wednesday, the judge ruled that Brooks will have to serve a life sentence without the possibility of extended supervision for each of the six counts of first-degree intentional homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon.
The verdict came on the heels of two days of victims' emotional statements during Brooks’s sentencing hearing, where grief-stricken families expressed their anguish and trauma over the loss of their loved ones.
Darrell Brooks was arrested and charged in the November 2021 attack where he plowed through people at the Waukesha Parade Christmas parade, killing six people and injuring dozens more.
Darrell Brooks has been sentenced on all 76 counts
On Wednesday, as the families of the victims watched on, the Judge imposed sentences for the remaining 70 counts, in addition to six consecutive life terms.
The judge, who described Brooks's conduct in court as unremorseful, sentenced Brooks to 17.5 years for each of the 61 counts in the first degree for recklessly endangering the safety of citizens. The judge, while issuing the verdict, said:
“You have absolutely no remorse for anything that you do. You have no empathy for anyone. Frankly, Mr Brooks, no one is safe from you.”
Brooks, who was combative during the conviction trial, was seen rolling his eyes during his sentencing hearing as the families of victims addressed the assailant with impassioned statements.
Darrell Brooks addressed the court during the hearing
As per CNN, Darrell Brooks, who spoke for more than two hours on Wednesday, only apologized to his victims once. He also told the court he too struggled to grasp the tragic events of last year. Brooks, while addressing the court, said:
“That’s a question I struggle with myself. The why, the how. How could life ever get this far away from what it should be? Regardless of what a lot of people may think about me, about who I am, about my family, about my beliefs, I know who I am. God knows who I am. And I don’t have any words of anger."
Brooks added:
“I want you to know not only am I sorry for what happened, I’m sorry that you could not see what’s truly in my heart. That you cannot see the remorse that I have. That you cannot count all the tears that I have dropped this year.”
During the hearing, family members of Darrell Brooks addressed the court, speaking at length about mental health issues. However, the judge disagreed with their concerted statements defending Brooks, citing testimonies from witnesses and mental health professionals. The judge concluded that mental health issues were not a factor that drove Brooks to commit the crime.
