The victims of Tuesday’s crash at a Wisconsin parade faced the nation as lawmakers and athletes took to social media to honor their memories.
Among the mourners, along with many others, were the neighbours, friends and strangers who gathered to mourn the victims, use tributes and speak up on behalf of a community that remains in shock as it heals.
In honor of this week’s victims, we offer a capsule review of where the country stands at the start of the long recovery process.
President Donald Trump issued a statement on Thursday, in which he called the crash “tragic”, adding that officials “will investigate to the fullest extent possible”. On Thursday night, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that Trump would travel to Wisconsin next week to visit the victims.
Fox News hosts Geraldo Rivera and Geraldo Sinclair shared their thoughts on Thursday and Friday on how the US is trying to bounce back from the crash. Sinclair, a White House correspondent for the conservative Fox News, said he saw condolences for the victims pouring in from around the country and world.
Rachael Parker, a resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, also expressed her condolences to the victims via Twitter, writing: “All US flags should be at half-staff tomorrow. Today. We will never forget. You were given a brighter future but died in the process.”
Katrina Satterfield (@KATUSatterfield) Guv @ScottWalker standing with local authorities following the crash at the West Allis Parade #March8 pic.twitter.com/MGga9HzSib
Wisconsin governor Scott Walker also sent his sympathies, tweeting: “Our Wisconsin team always delivers something memorable.”
Walker, who traveled to the state to inspect the accident scene, said the state would take a “conservative view” in providing the victims of the crash access to the estate of the driver, who faces two felony counts and one misdemeanor.
The Milwaukee Brewers and the Green Bay Packers both tweeted their condolences following the crash.
Alyssa Hazlett (@alyssa_hazlett) Everyone please #STAYED near the scene. There are no active-duty police here. We have multiple police, fire, EMS, FBI & City of West Allis Police all here. Many officers and rescue crews are assisting. NONE OF YOU ARE INVOLVED. The first responders are on their way to the scene and the scene is guarded. Stay where you are.
Netscape founder Jim Clark, who grew up in Milwaukee, wrote: “West Allis is a great American city … I’ve been through too many accidents, tragedies, to believe my beloved city is such a horrific place.”
A Miley Cyrus fan posted a similar message on Thursday. “We have to grieve together,” she wrote. “Remember how you felt when you were walking around in a procession or parade or concert: That it wasn’t just your event or your local baseball game or your monthly funeral procession. It was a celebration.”
Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin joined other Democrats to call for tighter rules on trucking companies’ use of alcohol and drugs, and for drivers to take a sobriety test immediately after hitting a group of people.
Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican, called for authorities to look into corporate tax breaks, noting that there was a good reason truck drivers now do not have to pay the state income tax.
Speaking on Friday, Johnson said: “Our hearts are with the survivors and their families. All of us have to acknowledge that trucking is a component of transportation in this country. I’m not sure that somebody else, a driver of another transportation system … would have a license to drive.”