As we enter the Thanksgiving holiday, our hearts are heavy with the horror too many Wisconsinites are dealing with after six innocent people died and more than 60 people were injured when a man driving a SUV barreled through the Waukesha Christmas Parade on Sunday.

This is a profoundly sad week in Wisconsin. But at the vigil on Monday in Waukesha's Cutler Park, we saw the best of humanity. So many people coming together to heal and comfort each other.

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone injured and the families of the deceased. My gratitude for all law enforcement, medical personnel, and community members who responded in unimaginable and heroic ways.

The Waukesha Christmas Parade was a horrific tragedy. But it never should have happened. We need to start asking questions about why our criminal justice system is releasing violent criminals.

We will be asking those questions in the weeks ahead. But for now, we will all hug our loved ones a little tighter this Thanksgiving. And we will pray for Waukesha.