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Violence at Wisconsin Christmas parade could influence similar events in the Valley

Posted at 5:33 PM, Nov 22, 2021
and last updated 2021-11-22 23:20:09-05

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The violence at a Milwaukee-area Christmas parade is on the minds of those organizing holiday parades here in the valley. An organizer for the Safe Santa Parade at Boulevard Mall says what happened in Wisconsin was an upsetting sequence of events.

“When I see something like that, it just makes me sick to my stomach,” Erin Breen said.

The attack at a holiday parade in Waukesha left five people dead and dozens more injured, including several children who remain in critical condition.

Las Vegas has had its own brushes with those using their vehicles to cause harm. The reason why we have steel bollards up and down the Strip, with more to come, is because of people using their cars as weapons.

“I think we live in a city where we’re pretty conscious that that could be an issue,” said Breen. “And sad that you have to think about those things when you’re planning an event.”

The Safe Santa Parade at Boulevard Mall was announced Sunday, and while no changes have been announced, you can only plan for a situation like we saw in Wisconsin so much.

“We spend a lot of time talking about how we engineer roads and being safe behind the wheel,” Breen said. “There’s no planning for something when someone is out of control like that.”

Breen says major parades at cities throughout the country will look at Waukesha and ask how to learn from it.

“At a major parade, if this was a deliberate act, I think it will change how people do business, yes,” Breen said.

When it comes to the Safe Santa Parade, it will start in a controlled environment behind the Galaxy Movie Theater on Saturday, Dec. 4 and 11 a.m.

MORE: How to help victims of the Wisconsin Christmas parade tragedy