3 children killed in mass stabbing attack at Taylor Swift-themed dance class in UK

In one of the worst mass stabbing attacks in the UK, three young girls have been killed — all under the age of 10 ­— and eight others critically injured that includes five children.

The attack took place on July 29, during a children's dance workshop in Southport England, when a 17-year-old teenager stormed the premises and started stabbing everyone indiscriminately.

The victims, Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9 were attending a Taylor Swift-themed event when the brutal attack happened. According to police, the two adults were injured while trying to protect the children.

Reportedly all 25 children aged between 6-11 were in attendance at the dance class. A police troop has been put around the scene at Hart Street in Southport, a seaside town north of Liverpool, also referred to as Merseyside.

Flowers, teddy bears and tributes were left near the scene where the horrendous attack took place.

Who is the suspect

The police arrested a 17-year-old minor at the scene on “suspicion of murder and attempted murder.” He was taken to the police station and was interviewed on July 30 morning, the police said. They are trying to establish the motive behind the attack at the workshop at Hart Street.

According to the Merseyside Police’s Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, the suspect is from Banks in Lancashire and originally belongs to Cardiff in Wales.

She said the suspect was armed with a knife when he walked into the school in Southport. However, no other details about the motive have been revealed yet except that the attack was not being treated as terror-related.

Reaction from Taylor Swift and others

Mega pop star Taylor Swift, whose music was the theme of the dance class, expressed her shock over the incident.

"The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock," Swift wrote on Instagram on July 30.

"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. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families," she added.

Meanwhile, Taylor Swift fans have raised more than £275,000 via a “Swifties for Southport” page. Set up by two members of the Taylor Swift UK & EU Facebook Group, Cristina Jones and Holly Goldring, the fundraiser has had donations from over 17,000 people. The money will also go to Alder Hey Children's Hospital where some of the victims are being treated.

The royal family, including King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, also expressed their shock and sadness at the horrific incident.

“We send our most heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have so tragically lost their lives and to all those affected by this truly appalling attack,” the King’s message read.

Prince William and his wife Katherine called it a "heinous attack". They posted on X saying "As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through."

Newly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other officials visited the site of the attack on July 30, paying tributes to the victims and thanking emergency responders who attended the scene.

Starmer laid a wreath at the scene, alongside floral tributes left there by the local community.

Mosque targeted near the attack site
During a peaceful vigil in memory of the victims, a far-right mob attacked a mosque in northwest England, injuring approximately 40 police officers.

Reportedly, misinformation is being spread on social media regarding the ethnicity and religion of the 17-year-old male suspect, currently in police custody.

“The people of Southport are reeling after the horror inflicted on them yesterday. They deserve our support and our respect,” said PM Keir Starmer.

“Those who have hijacked the vigil for the victims with violence and thuggery have insulted the community as it grieves. They will feel the full force of the law,” he said.

“There has been much speculation and hypothesis around the status of a 17-year-old male who is currently in police custody and some individuals are using this to bring violence and disorder to our streets. We have already said that the person arrested was born in the UK and speculation helps nobody at this time,” Alex Goss, Assistant Chief Constable of the force was quoted as saying by PTI.

"It is extremely important that people don't spread damaging misinformation online. False information has already been extensively shared in the last 24 hours,” UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said.

"In these dark and difficult moments, the police must be able to get on with their work and communities must be given the time and space to grieve and heal without outside voices seeking to use events to stir up division or advance their views," she said.

Uptick in stabbing attacks in the UK

The UK has witnessed a rise in knife-related crimes across the country over the past decade with a slight dip during the pandemic years.

According to the Office for National Statistics, in the past decade, the number of knife crimes in England has risen to 48,341 in 2024, from 27,667 in 2014. More than a quarter of the incidents took place in London.

Knife-enabled crime rose 7% in England and Wales last year, the government said last month, noting some localities were not included. In London, such crimes jumped 20%, an AP report said.

In the past 12 months ending with March 2023, of the 244 fatal stabbings in England and Wales, 101 were committed with kitchen knives, surpassing any other type of blade, according to the Office of National Statistics.

The government is looking to implement a new law to take effect in September banning the sale of machetes and closing a loophole that companies have exploited to get around the zombie knife (a type of knife which comes in various sizes and has cutting and serrated edges, featuring text or images suggesting they should be used to commit violence) ban.

(with inputs from agencies)