Residents of the City of Waukesha mourn after five were killed during a Christmas parade. | facebook.com/cityofwaukesha
Residents of the City of Waukesha mourn after five were killed during a Christmas parade. | facebook.com/cityofwaukesha
DuPage Democrats social media director Mary Lemanski no longer holds her post after taking to social media to call the Waukesha parade tragedy where five people were killed and dozens others injured “karma” for the Kyle Rittenhouse acquittal.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy in Waukesha,” DuPage Democrats members posted on Twitter. “We are aware of statements made by a former member of our organization and find them to be incredibly insensitive and not in alignment of who we are as an organization. Our organization does not support hate in any form.”
In a string of since deleted posts to Twitter, the Daily Mail reports Lemanski further asserted “it was probably just self-defense. Living in Wisconsin, he probably felt threatened. I’m sure he didn’t mean to hurt anyone. He came to help people.”
Former DuPage County Democrats social media director Mary Lemanski
| twitter.com/marylemanski
Critics quickly charged Lemanski appeared to be making light of the successful self-defense argument Rittenhouse and his defense team made during the 18-year-olds just concluded trial over the two shooting deaths in Kenosha. “The blood of Kyle Rittenhouse's victims is on the hands of Wisconsin citizens,” Lemanski added in a separate post. “I just believe in Karma and this came around quick on the citizens of Wisconsin. You reap what you sow, Wisconsin.”
The New York Times reports at least five people were killed and 40 injured, including 12 children, during Sunday's tragedy when a speeding SUV steered into a Christmas parade roué in the suburban town near Milwaukee. Police have since charged 39-year-old Darrell Brooks in connection with the deadly crash.
Earlier this month, Brooks was charged with felony bail jumping , recklessly endangering safety, battery, disorderly conduct and resisting an officer. Court records show he was released after posting a $1,000 cash bond on November 19. His motive for Sunday's attack remains a mystery.
In a statement, DuPage County Democratic Party chairman Ken Mejia-Beal insists the organization immediately severed all ties with Lemanski after it "became aware of her callous and reprehensible posts."
The outing was the 58th Christmas parade for Waukesha, an annual event where this year’s theme was “Comfort and Joy” after the entire festivity was canceled last year due to the pandemic.
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