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Wisconsin tragedy raises concerns ahead of Charlotte’s Thanksgiving parade

CHARLOTTE — On Sunday, a tragic situation unfolded in Wisconsin when a driver plowed into a Christmas parade, killing five people and hurting 40 more.

The police chief said the suspect in that case acted alone and stressed it was not a terrorist incident. A prayer vigil has been planned for families who were impacted and for those who are still recovering.

But the tragedy raises concerns about events planned throughout our area, like Charlotte’s Thanksgiving parade on Wednesday.

>> READ MORE: Wisconsin Christmas parade: Suspect facing 5 counts of intentional homicide

For 75 years, Charlotte’s holiday season has kicked off with the parade. Sunday’s events in Wisconsin have left many concerned about Charlotte’s plans.

“Honestly, it’s been a big issue with a lot of big events,” said Charlotte resident Jenni Moran. “It seems like a lot of people taking advantage of that to cause harm.”

Jenni Moran said she’ll only consider coming to an event like the Thanksgiving parade if they could be sure it’ll be safe. The event organizers, Charlotte Center City Partners, promise that will be the case.

>> MORE INFO: Charlotte Thanksgiving Parade returns to in-person, will be held Wednesday night

“We are in regular communication with CMPD,” said Adam Rhew with CCCP. “We have an excellent partnership and are excited to welcome people back to Tryon Street again for this tradition.”

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are not sharing their security plans for Wednesday night but they have had plenty of practice with events uptown over the years, ranging from protests to political conventions. Police never reveal all of what they’ll be doing -- for security reasons -- but it’s often more than one might expect.

“You don’t just block off from the street or intersection where the parade begins and where it ends,” said Ross Bulla, who runs a private security company. Bulla said what happened in Wisconsin will probably affect security plans in Charlotte.

“It’s a wake-up call -- not even a wake-up call, really -- it’s a reminder, it’s a refresher, keeps us on our toes, keeps us fresh, makes us realize we’re still susceptible to this,” Bulla said.

(WATCH BELOW: Multiple dead, dozens hurt after SUV plows into Wisconsin holiday parade)