A dance studio in Southport, Merseyside, became the site of a “ferocious” knife attack that killed three girls and left two adults and five children in critical condition. One of the victims, a 9-year-old girl, died in hospital early on Tuesday morning following the attack at the Taylor Swift-themed event on Monday. Two other children aged six and seven also died. A 17-year-old boy who was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder remains in police custody.
A police spokesman warned against speculation regarding the case and stressed that a name shared in connection with the suspect online was “incorrect”. Merseyside Police do not regard the attack as terror-related and stressed that they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. The boy was born in Cardiff and reportedly moved to the Southport area in 2013; his parents are from Rwanda.
The event was advertised as a fully-booked club for children featuring dance and yoga workshops as well as bracelet-making. Witnesses described the scene as resembling a horror movie. Emergency calls were made to the police at about 11:47 BST and armed response vehicles were deployed to Hart Street. Eyewitnesses reported hearing screams and seeing several young children severely injured.
Local residents have left flowers, cards, and teddies by the police cordon close to the scene, while several shops and pubs have closed as a mark of respect. A vigil has been planned for 18:00 BST outside the Atkinson building in Southport, and churches have opened to give people a place to gather. Southport FC cancelled their pre-season friendly against Morecambe FC “out of respect” for those killed and affected in the attack
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