Man who killed 6 in Christmas parade gets life, no release

A judge sentenced a man who killed six people and injured many others when he drove his SUV through a Christmas parade in suburban Milwaukee to life in prison with no chance of release Wednesday, rejecting arguments from him and his family that mental illness drove him to do it. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow sentenced 40-year-old Darrell Brooks Jr. on 76 charges, including six counts of first-degree intentional homicide and 61 counts of reckless endangerment. “This community can only be safe if you are behind bars for the rest of your life.. You left a path of destruction, chaos, death, injury and panic as you drove seven or so blocks through the Christmas parade.” Dorow had bailiffs move Brooks to another courtroom where he could participate via video after he became disruptive during her pre-sentencing remarks. When Dorow asked him what sentence he thought he should get, he didn’t answer directly but said: “I just want to be helped.” Brooks’ mother and grandmother tried to persuade Dorow to place Brooks in a mental institution rather than prison. “It is my opinion that mental health issues did not cause him to do what he did on Nov. 21, 2021, and frankly didn’t play a role,” the judge said Wednesday.