Waukesha Parade Attacker Gets Life in Prison

Darrell Brooks, the man convicted of intentionally driving his car through a 2021 Wisconsin Christmas parade and killing six people, was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday without the chance for parole.

Key Quotes: Brooks entered a mental health plea before the sentence, and said he wanted "to get to a point in my life where I can have the ability to recognize before it happens when something could become out of control before an outside source can pinpoint and say something is wrong." The judge denied that plea, saying, "There is no medication for a heart that is bent on evil."

For Context: Brooks was found guilty of all 76 charges against him last month, and in total, he was sentenced to more than 1,200 years in prison. Brooks had a prior criminal history, and was released on $1,000 bail just two weeks before the attack in a domestic abuse case. His since-deactivated social media profiles included comments about violence against white people and support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

How the Media Covered It: The sentencing was more of a focus from right-rated outlets, which have covered the story more than left- and center-rated sources overall. At the time of the attack, some left-rated outlets were accused of media bias by omission in reporting on the story; some initially attributed the attack to "a car" rather than to the human actor, Brooks.