Updated: 5.30pm (AEDT)
At least five people have been killed and more than 40 wounded after a car drove through a Christmas parade in the US state of Wisconsin.
Video footage of the incident in Waukesha, west of Milwaukee, shows a red sports utility driving through the parade at about 4.40pm Sunday.
The City of Waukesha tweeted that five people had been killed and more than 40 injured but added that these numbers may change as they collect additional information.
Earlier, Police Chief Dan Thompson said those hit by the vehicle included children. He said a “person of interest” was in custody, adding that it was “still a very fluid investigation”.
Thompson said an officer had fired his weapon to the vehicle in a bid to stop it, adding that no bystanders were injured as a result of the weapon being discharged.
Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly called the incident a “horrible and senseless act”.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee said in a statement that one of their priests, multiple parishioners, and children who attend the Waukesha Catholic school had been injured.
“Our prayers are with the people who have been injured and killed during the tragic incident in Waukesha,” Sandra Peterson, communication director for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, said in a statement.
“Among the injured are one of our Catholic priests, as well as multiple parishioners and Waukesha Catholic school children. Please join us in prayer for all those involved, their families, and those who are traumatized from witnessing the horrible scene.”
