LONDON (AP) 含羞草研究社� A 9-year old girl wounded in a stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class in northwestern England died Tuesday, bringing the death toll to three, as police questioned a 17-year-old suspect arrested minutes after the rampage.
Merseyside Police said the other fatalities were girls aged 6 and 7.
Eight children and two adults remain hospitalized after the attack in Southport. Both adults and five of the children are in critical condition.
Swift said she was 含羞草研究社渃ompletely in shock含羞草研究社� and still taking in 含羞草研究社渢he horror含羞草研究社� of the event.
含羞草研究社淭hese were just little kids at a dance class,含羞草研究社� she wrote on Instagram. 含羞草研究社淚 am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.含羞草研究社�
A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Local people left flowers and stuffed animals in tribute at a police cordon on the street lined with brick houses in the seaside resort near Liverpool 含羞草研究社� nicknamed 含羞草研究社渟unny Southport含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� whose beach and pier attract vacationers from across northwest England.
Witnesses described scenes 含羞草研究社渇rom a horror movie含羞草研究社� as bloodied children ran from the attack just before noon on Monday. The suspect was arrested soon after on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Police said he was born in Cardiff, Wales, and had lived for years in a village about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Southport. He has not yet been charged.
Police said detectives are not treating Monday含羞草研究社檚 attack as terror-related and they are not looking for any other suspects.
含羞草研究社淲e believe the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked,含羞草研究社� Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said.
It is the latest shocking attack in a country where has stoked anxieties and led to calls for the government to do more to clamp down on bladed weapons.
Witnesses described hearing screams and seeing children covered in blood emerging from the Hart Space, a community center that hosts everything from pregnancy workshops and meditation sessions to women含羞草研究社檚 boot camps.
The attack happened during a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance workshop for children aged about 6 to 11.
含羞草研究社淭hey were in the road, running from the nursery,含羞草研究社� said Bare Varathan, who owns a shop nearby. 含羞草研究社淭hey had been stabbed, here, here, here, everywhere,含羞草研究社� he said, indicating the neck, back and chest.
called the attack 含羞草研究社渉orrendous and deeply shocking.含羞草研究社� King Charles III sent his 含羞草研究社渃ondolences, prayers and deepest sympathies含羞草研究社� to those affected by the 含羞草研究社渦tterly horrific incident.含羞草研究社�
Prince William and his wife Catherine said that 含羞草研究社渁s parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through.含羞草研究社�
Colin Parry, who owns a nearby auto body shop, told The Guardian that the suspect arrived by taxi.
含羞草研究社淗e came down our driveway in a taxi and didn含羞草研究社檛 pay for the taxi, so I confronted him at that point,含羞草研究社� Parry was quoted as saying. 含羞草研究社淗e was quite aggressive, he said, 含羞草研究社榃hat are you gonna do about it?含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
Parry said most of the victims appeared to be young girls.
含羞草研究社淭he mothers are coming here now and screaming,含羞草研究社� Parry said. 含羞草研究社淚t is like a scene from a horror movie. 含羞草研究社� It含羞草研究社檚 like something from America, not like sunny Southport.含羞草研究社�
Britain含羞草研究社檚 worst attack on children occurred in 1996, when 43-year-old Thomas Hamilton shot 16 kindergarteners and their teacher dead in a school gymnasium in Dunblane, Scotland. The U.K. subsequently banned the private ownership of almost all handguns.
Mass shootings and killings with firearms are rare in Britain, where knives were used in about 40% of homicides in the year to March 2023.
Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
