Wisconsin Christmas parade victims: What we know about the five lives lost
Written by luck on November 23, 2021
(WAUKESHA, Wis.) — Five people ages 52 to 81 were killed when an SUV driver plowed into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Sunday afternoon.
The 39-year-old suspect is in custody and charged with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide, police said.
Here is what we know about the lives lost:
Tamara Durand, 52
Tamara Durand was dancing for the first time with the Dancing Grannies group at the parade, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
A former elementary school teacher, Durand recently turned her focus to watching her grandson several days a week so her daughter could attend nursing school, the newspaper said.
Durand’s husband, Dave Durand, said in a statement, “Tammy was a vibrant, loving and warm woman who we all miss deeply already. Her memory will bring joy to all who knew her.”
Jane Kulich, 52
Jane Kulich is survived by her husband, three children and grandchildren, said her niece, Desiree Kulich.
Kulich was family-oriented, her niece said, and went to church each Sunday and held a family game night on the weekends.
“My aunt Jane was one of those people that could be described as an angel on earth. She was one of those people that you could tell anything to and not fear to be judged,” Desiree Kulich told ABC News via email.
“Family was always first,” she said. “The whole family feels robbed.”
Virginia Sorenson, 79
Virginia Sorenson was dancing with the Dancing Grannies at the parade, a group she had been with for 19 years.
She loved to dance and helped choreograph the group’s routines, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
Sorenson was a registered nurse, grandmother and animal lover, caring at home for horses, chickens, dogs and cats, the Sentinel reported.
She leaves behind a husband of 56 years, the Sentinel reported.
Wilhelm Hospel, 81
LeAnna Owen, 71
ABC News’ Jessica Hornig contributed to this report.
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