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Darrell Brooks is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday for driving his SUV into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, last year, killing six people and injuring dozens more.
Wednesday’s sentencing comes after dozens of victims of the attack confronted Brooks in angry, emotional statements on Tuesday.
Prior to Judge Jennifer Dorow’s sentencing, several people spoke on Brooks’ behalf in Waukesha County court on Wednesday over Zoom, starting with his mother, Dawn Brooks.
« Jail is not the only answer, » she told the court. « Help, treatment, hospitalization and medication — it plays a big role in preventing this, where we are today, if it would have been offered sooner. »
She also read the Maya Angelou poem « Caged Bird. »
« Everyone who suffers from mental illness is caged. All they want is to be free of their illness and become mentally well, » she said, adding that she believes society has an obligation to help others through treatment and medication.
Brooks’ grandmother, Mary Edwards, told the court that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 12.
« It was that disorder that caused him to drive through that crowd, » she said. « It is my prayer that he will be treated for this illness.
