Britain shocked after knife attack on dancing children - Starmer thanks helpers
According to police reports, a knife attack in Southport resulted in the deaths of three girls aged six, seven, and nine. Two of the victims were killed instantly at the scene and were aged six and seven. A third child later succumbed to her injuries. The nine-year-old girl died in the hospital, police announced on Tuesday.
The child was a Portuguese national, authorities in Lisbon confirmed on Tuesday. The parents of the girl, who live in Great Britain, are from Madeira. "You will always be our princess," the family wrote in their farewell message on Tuesday.
Eight other children were injured, some critically, by stab wounds in the coastal town of Southport north of Liverpool. Five of them remain in critical condition. Two adults were also severely injured and were reportedly trying to protect the children.
A 17-year-old suspect was arrested shortly after the incident. He is accused of murder and attempted murder, but his motive remains unclear, and a terrorist attack has been ruled out.
Residents of Southport were left in shock on Tuesday. Flowers, memorial cards, and stuffed animals were left near the scene of the crime. Hundreds of people attended a vigil in the evening, observing a minute of silence for the victims.
"I can't believe this happened so close to home," said resident Leanne Hassan, whose daughter was at a nearby kindergarten at the time of the incident. "Children should feel safe in a holiday club. They should be able to enjoy their free time without having to fear being stabbed."
The attack occurred during a children's holiday course for ages six to eleven. The activity was advertised online as a dance and yoga course themed around Taylor Swift. "These were just little kids in a dance class," Swift wrote on Instagram.
"This loss of life and innocence, and the terrible trauma inflicted on everyone present, the families, and the first responders," Swift continued. "I'm at a loss for words to express my condolences to these families."
Fans of the singer spontaneously called for donations to support the families of the victims. Over £60,000 (around €71,200) was raised on the JustGiving platform in a short time.
Prime Minister Starmer also expressed his shock. "I know the country is deeply shocked." Later, Starmer thanked the emergency and response services personally at the scene. Like many others, he laid flowers at the site of the attack.
He visited Southport to pay his respects to the victims and their families, saying they were experiencing "a pain and grief that most of us cannot imagine - I cannot imagine it as a father."
King Charles III expressed his "deepest sympathies, prayers, and condolences" to the families. The Prince of Wales and his wife Kate wrote on X, "As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends, and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport are going through."
The arrested suspect hails from the village of Banks, located near Southport. Witnesses to the attack told British media that the 17-year-old arrived at the scene in a taxi and then forced his way into the building, wearing a mask. The motive behind the teenager's knife attack on the children remained unclear initially. The police made no statements about possible motives, continuing to question the suspect on Tuesday.
The police also initially declined to comment on the identity of the attacker. However, they confirmed that a name circulating on online networks was "incorrect" and urged people not to speculate about details of the incident while investigations are ongoing.
The number of violent crimes involving knives in the UK has been increasing. According to official statistics, there were nearly 50,000 such incidents in 2023, a seven percent increase from 2022. Over the past decade, the number of these crimes has doubled.
The dance and yoga course for children was themed around Taylor Swift's music, as mentioned in the activity's online advertisement. ♪ Taylor Swift ♪ played in the background during the session, adding a joyful atmosphere to the children's holiday course.
