(Trends Wide) — One woman was smiling broadly and dressed in warm clothing, ready to participate in her first Milwaukee Dancing Grandmothers parade on Sunday.
Tamara Durand wrote that she was “very excited” for her parade debut with the group, she said in a Facebook post.
Durand was one of six victims who died after a red pickup truck sped into the Waukesha Christmas parade Sunday afternoon. More than 60 were injured.
The city of Waukesha confirmed the names of five victims Monday as Virginia Sorenson, 79; Leanna Owen, 71 years old; Tamara Durand, 52 years old; Jane Kulich, 52, and Wilhelm Hospel, 81.
A sixth victim, a boy, subsequently died, authorities said Tuesday.
Prosecutors formally charged Darrell Brooks with five counts of first-degree manslaughter on Tuesday. Brooks could face an additional charge in the sixth death, authorities said.
The Dancing Grandmothers of Milwaukee: Virginia Sorenson, Leanna Owen, Tamara Durand
The Milwaukee Dancing Grandmothers shared an update Tuesday morning, posting photos of three of the members who died in the Waukesha parade incident.
“Our hearts are heavy for the loss of our grandmothers and volunteers. Our injured grandmothers are in stable condition and one of them was released from the hospital on Monday,” the group wrote on Facebook.
The group posted photos of Sorenson, Owen and Durand.
“Those who died were extremely passionate grandmothers,” according to the group’s statement on Monday.
Sorenson was nicknamed Ginny.
A GoFundMe page was created by the family and talks about how Sorenson spent his final moments celebrating the beauty of life and how he had a true passion for the Dancing Grandmothers of Milwaukee.
“Everyone who knew Ginny knows that she had a special soul, that radiated love,” read a statement on the page. “She was a caregiver from start to finish, be it in caring for patients, family and especially in caring for her dear furry friends.”
Her granddaughter, Gabrielle Kamentz, remembered her grandmother for everything she taught her.
“My grandmother taught me everything I needed to know in life … very happy and proud to follow in her footsteps as a nurse,” Kamentz said in a Facebook post.
Another member was Leanna (Lee) Owen, who had been the manager of Packard Glen Apartments for nearly 10 years, property owner Dave Schmidt told Trends Wide. His staff released a statement to residents informing them of his death, as a member of the group.
“This was one of his passions that he really loved,” the statement said. “She was very proud to be a part of this group and was excited when she talked about it.”
Durand, 52, was a more recent member of the dance group. Best Version Media shared a statement regarding the death of Tamara Durand, who was the wife of CEO and founder Dave Durand.
“We are devastated by the tragedy that unfolded Sunday night in Waukesha,” the statement said. “It is with great regret and sadness that we inform you of the passing of Tammy Durand, wife of our CEO Dave Durand. Tammy was an integral part of our family who will be deeply missed by everyone at BVM.”
The Dancing Grandmothers of Milwaukee did not mention how many members of the group were affected or injured in the incident.
The group goes on to say that they “are devastated by this terrible tragedy of loss of life and injury at the Waukesha Christmas parade.”
“Our group was doing what they loved, performing in front of the crowd in a parade putting smiles on the faces of all ages, filling them with joy and happiness.”
Trends Wide has reached out to the dancing grandmothers of Milwaukee, but has received no response.
Another Waukesha Victim: 52-year-old Jane Kulich
Milwaukee native Jane Kulich, 52, was representing her employer, Citizens Bank, at the parade when she was fatally run over, according to her daughter Taylor Smith.
“My mother was a wonderful and beautiful soul. She illuminated everyone’s life,” her daughter said in a statement.
Kulich is survived by her husband, three children and three grandchildren.
“He loved his family so much,” Smith said in the statement. “She was dedicated, motivated, and comforting. My mother was a wonderful human who positively impacted everyone she met.”
Kulich joined Citizens Bank a year ago, his employer said in a statement on Facebook. “At that time, she shared her bright spirit with everyone around her,” the statement read.
The family has started a GoFundMe page to help pay for the costs of Kulich’s funeral.
Young dancer Jessalyn Torres was injured
Ryan Kohnke was at the Christmas parade to see his 11-year-old niece Jessalyn Torres dance, he told Trends Wide affiliate WTMJ.
But what he saw on Sunday brought him back to his days of combat duty in Iraq. “This was very similar and it was the first thing that reminded me, just seeing all those bodies,” Kohnke told the station.
His niece was one of dozens of victims struck by the truck in Waukesha. Kohnke said he is in ICU with serious internal injuries.
A family friend created a GoFundMe page to help the family with medical expenses.
“It was lying in the middle of five corners, in downtown Waukesha,” Kohnke told WTMJ. Unfortunately, his children who were there also witnessed the chaos.
Torres is part of the Waukesha Xtreme Dance Team and his uncle said he loves being a part of the group. He told WTMJ that he hopes he recovers to dance again.
“Sunday was a traumatic nightmare for the girls, their families and our entire community,” the Waukesha Xtreme dance team said in a statement Tuesday. “Our dancers have a multitude of serious physical injuries, of which five dancers are currently in ICU.”
According to the team’s GoFundMe page, the injured dancers were part of the group’s mini or elite team.
Trends Wide’s Kay Jones, Raja Razek, Caroll Alvarado, and Sara Smart contributed to this report.
(Trends Wide) — One woman was smiling broadly and dressed in warm clothing, ready to participate in her first Milwaukee Dancing Grandmothers parade on Sunday.
Tamara Durand wrote that she was “very excited” for her parade debut with the group, she said in a Facebook post.
Durand was one of six victims who died after a red pickup truck sped into the Waukesha Christmas parade Sunday afternoon. More than 60 were injured.
The city of Waukesha confirmed the names of five victims Monday as Virginia Sorenson, 79; Leanna Owen, 71 years old; Tamara Durand, 52 years old; Jane Kulich, 52, and Wilhelm Hospel, 81.
A sixth victim, a boy, subsequently died, authorities said Tuesday.
Prosecutors formally charged Darrell Brooks with five counts of first-degree manslaughter on Tuesday. Brooks could face an additional charge in the sixth death, authorities said.
The Dancing Grandmothers of Milwaukee: Virginia Sorenson, Leanna Owen, Tamara Durand
The Milwaukee Dancing Grandmothers shared an update Tuesday morning, posting photos of three of the members who died in the Waukesha parade incident.
“Our hearts are heavy for the loss of our grandmothers and volunteers. Our injured grandmothers are in stable condition and one of them was released from the hospital on Monday,” the group wrote on Facebook.
The group posted photos of Sorenson, Owen and Durand.
“Those who died were extremely passionate grandmothers,” according to the group’s statement on Monday.
Sorenson was nicknamed Ginny.
A GoFundMe page was created by the family and talks about how Sorenson spent his final moments celebrating the beauty of life and how he had a true passion for the Dancing Grandmothers of Milwaukee.
“Everyone who knew Ginny knows that she had a special soul, that radiated love,” read a statement on the page. “She was a caregiver from start to finish, be it in caring for patients, family and especially in caring for her dear furry friends.”
Her granddaughter, Gabrielle Kamentz, remembered her grandmother for everything she taught her.
“My grandmother taught me everything I needed to know in life … very happy and proud to follow in her footsteps as a nurse,” Kamentz said in a Facebook post.
Another member was Leanna (Lee) Owen, who had been the manager of Packard Glen Apartments for nearly 10 years, property owner Dave Schmidt told Trends Wide. His staff released a statement to residents informing them of his death, as a member of the group.
“This was one of his passions that he really loved,” the statement said. “She was very proud to be a part of this group and was excited when she talked about it.”
Durand, 52, was a more recent member of the dance group. Best Version Media shared a statement regarding the death of Tamara Durand, who was the wife of CEO and founder Dave Durand.
“We are devastated by the tragedy that unfolded Sunday night in Waukesha,” the statement said. “It is with great regret and sadness that we inform you of the passing of Tammy Durand, wife of our CEO Dave Durand. Tammy was an integral part of our family who will be deeply missed by everyone at BVM.”
The Dancing Grandmothers of Milwaukee did not mention how many members of the group were affected or injured in the incident.
The group goes on to say that they “are devastated by this terrible tragedy of loss of life and injury at the Waukesha Christmas parade.”
“Our group was doing what they loved, performing in front of the crowd in a parade putting smiles on the faces of all ages, filling them with joy and happiness.”
Trends Wide has reached out to the dancing grandmothers of Milwaukee, but has received no response.
Another Waukesha Victim: 52-year-old Jane Kulich
Milwaukee native Jane Kulich, 52, was representing her employer, Citizens Bank, at the parade when she was fatally run over, according to her daughter Taylor Smith.
“My mother was a wonderful and beautiful soul. She illuminated everyone’s life,” her daughter said in a statement.
Kulich is survived by her husband, three children and three grandchildren.
“He loved his family so much,” Smith said in the statement. “She was dedicated, motivated, and comforting. My mother was a wonderful human who positively impacted everyone she met.”
Kulich joined Citizens Bank a year ago, his employer said in a statement on Facebook. “At that time, she shared her bright spirit with everyone around her,” the statement read.
The family has started a GoFundMe page to help pay for the costs of Kulich’s funeral.
Young dancer Jessalyn Torres was injured
Ryan Kohnke was at the Christmas parade to see his 11-year-old niece Jessalyn Torres dance, he told Trends Wide affiliate WTMJ.
But what he saw on Sunday brought him back to his days of combat duty in Iraq. “This was very similar and it was the first thing that reminded me, just seeing all those bodies,” Kohnke told the station.
His niece was one of dozens of victims struck by the truck in Waukesha. Kohnke said he is in ICU with serious internal injuries.
A family friend created a GoFundMe page to help the family with medical expenses.
“It was lying in the middle of five corners, in downtown Waukesha,” Kohnke told WTMJ. Unfortunately, his children who were there also witnessed the chaos.
Torres is part of the Waukesha Xtreme Dance Team and his uncle said he loves being a part of the group. He told WTMJ that he hopes he recovers to dance again.
“Sunday was a traumatic nightmare for the girls, their families and our entire community,” the Waukesha Xtreme dance team said in a statement Tuesday. “Our dancers have a multitude of serious physical injuries, of which five dancers are currently in ICU.”
According to the team’s GoFundMe page, the injured dancers were part of the group’s mini or elite team.
Trends Wide’s Kay Jones, Raja Razek, Caroll Alvarado, and Sara Smart contributed to this report.