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A third child has died following a stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class in Southport, England. On Tuesday, July 30, Merseyside Police confirmed in a news release. A 9-year-old girl succumbed to injuries sustained in the knife attack, which occurred around 11:50 a.m. local time the previous day.
“We can confirm that the children who died yesterday were girls aged six and seven years,” police added, referring to the other two victims. The news release also stated, “Eight other children suffered stab wounds sustained during the attack, and five of them are in critical condition. Two adults are also in critical condition after being injured during the incident.”
“Our specialist Family Liaison Officers are providing support to the families at this terrible time,” the release continued. Police confirmed the arrest of a 17-year-old male from the village of Banks in Lancashire. “This incident is not currently being treated as terror-related and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with it,” police said.
The attack took place at a property on Hart Street. The event was advertised for kids between the ages of 6 and 11 and had been scheduled to run from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. local time. Witness Colin Parry, owner of Masters Vehicle Body Repairs situated next to the stabbing site, recounted the harrowing scene to BBC 5Live, saying, “We all ran out and there’s young kids, all bleeding.
It was the worst thing I’ve seen ever in my life,” Parry said, adding that many of the children had been taken into a nearby home. “Why? Why would you do these things to these kids? It’s horrific.” Parry also told the Press Association that mothers were “screaming,” comparing it to “a scene from a horror movie.”
Eye on Southport journalist Tim Johnson arrived about 20 minutes after police were called and described the chaos to the BBC. Recalling how he saw a girl on a stretcher, he said, “Her parents were running after her. It was horrendous. I’ve never seen anything like it … I saw ambulance men and women in tears. People were in tears in the streets.”
Following the attack, Taylor Swift shared a heartfelt message on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday. The singer wrote, “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock… The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and first responders.”
“These were just little kids at a dance class,” she added. “I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.” This devastating incident has left a community reeling, with many struggling to understand the senseless violence that shattered the lives of so many young children and their families.
