Taylor Swift reacts to fatal stabbing in dance class

A 9-year-old girl injured in a knife attack during a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class in northwest England died on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to three, while police questioned a 17-year-old suspect who was arrested minutes after the rampage. Merseyside Police said the other fatalities were girls aged 6 and 7. Eight children and two adults remain in hospital following the attack in Southport. Both the adults and five of the children are in a critical condition.Swift said she was “completely in shock” and still comprehending “the horror” of the event. “These were just little kids at a dance class,” she wrote on Instagram. “I don’t know how I can ever express my sympathy to these families.”A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.Locals laid flowers and stuffed animals as a sign of respect at a police cordon on the brick-lined street of the seaside resort near Liverpool — dubbed “sunny Southport” — whose beach and pier draw holidaymakers from across northwest England.Witnesses described scenes “like something out of a horror film” as bloodied children ran away from the attack just before midday on Monday.The suspect was arrested shortly 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 from Southport. No charges have yet been brought against him.Police said investigators are not treating Monday’s attack as terrorist-related, and they are not looking for any other suspects. “We believe the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were attacked,” said Merseyside Police Chief Serena Kennedy. It is the latest shocking attack in a country where a recent rise in knife crime has stoked fears and led to calls for the government to do more against bladed weapons, which are by far the most commonly used instruments in murders in Britain. Witnesses reported hearing screams and seeing bloodied children coming out of Hart Space, a community centre that hosts everything from pregnancy workshops and meditation sessions to boot camps for women. The attack happened during a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance workshop for children aged around 6 to 11. “They were in the street, running out of the nursery,” said Bare Varathan, who owns a shop nearby. “They had been stabbed, here, here, here, everywhere,” he said, pointing to the neck, back and chest. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack “appalling and deeply shocking.” King Charles III sent his “condolences, prayers and deepest sympathy” to those affected by the “absolutely horrific incident.” Prince William and his wife Catherine said: “As parents, we cannot even begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of the dead and injured in Southport must be going through today.” Colin Parry, who owns a nearby garage, told The Guardian the suspect arrived by taxi. “He came down our driveway in a taxi and had not paid for the fare, so I confronted him at that point,” Parry was quoted as saying. “He was quite aggressive and said, ‘What are you going to do about it?'” Parry said most of the victims appeared to be young girls. “The mothers are coming here now and screaming,” Parry said. “It’s like a scene from a horror film. … It’s like something out of America, not like sunny Southport.” The worst attack on children in Britain occurred in 1996, when 43-year-old Thomas Hamilton shot dead 16 kindergarten children and their teacher in a school gym in Dunblane, Scotland. The UK subsequently banned private ownership of almost all handguns. Mass shootings and killings with firearms are rare in the UK, where knives were used in about 40% of homicides in the year to March 2023.

SOUTHPORT, England —

A 9-year-old girl injured in a knife attack during a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class in northwest England died on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to three as police question a 17-year-old suspect who was arrested minutes after the rampage.

According to Merseyside Police, the other fatalities were girls aged 6 and 7.

Eight children and two adults remain in hospital following the attack in Southport. Both the adults and five of the children are in critical condition.

Swift said she was “in complete shock” and was still processing “the horror” of the event.

“They were just little kids in a dance class,” she wrote on Instagram. “I don’t know how I can ever express my condolences to these families.”

A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

Residents laid flowers and stuffed animals as a sign of their appreciation at a police cordon on the brick-lined street of the seaside resort near Liverpool – also known as “sunny Southport” – whose beach and pier attract holidaymakers from across northwest England.

Witnesses described scenes “like something out of a horror movie” as bloodied children ran away from the attack just before midday on Monday. The suspect was arrested shortly after on charges of murder and attempted murder. Police said he was born in Cardiff, Wales, and had lived for years in a village about 3 miles from Southport. No charges have yet been brought against him.

Police said investigators do not consider Monday’s attack to be terrorist-related and are not looking for other suspects.

“We believe the injured adults were bravely trying to protect the children who were attacked,” said Merseyside Police Commissioner Serena Kennedy.

It is the latest shocking attack in a country where a rise in knife crime has stoked fears and prompted calls for the Government to do more to crack down on knife weapons, by far the most commonly used tools in British murders. Witnesses reported hearing screams and seeing bloodied children emerging from Hart Space, a community centre that hosts everything from pregnancy workshops and meditation sessions to boot camps for women.

The attack occurred during a yoga and dance workshop for children ages 6 to 11 on the theme of Taylor Swift.

“They were on the street, running out of the nursery,” said Bare Varathan, who owns a shop nearby. “They had been stabbed, here, here, here, everywhere,” he said, pointing to the neck, back and chest.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the attack as “appalling and deeply shocking.” King Charles III expressed his “condolences, prayers and deepest sympathy” to those affected by the “absolutely horrific incident.”

Prince William and his wife Catherine said: “As parents, we cannot even begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed or injured in Southport today must be going through.”

Colin Parry, who owns a nearby car repair shop, told The Guardian that the suspect arrived by taxi.

“He came down our driveway in a taxi and hadn’t paid for the fare, so I confronted him,” Parry was quoted as saying. “He was quite aggressive and said, ‘What are you going to do about it?'”

Parry said most of the victims appeared to be young girls.

“The mothers come here now and scream,” said Parry. “It’s like a scene from a horror movie. … It’s like something from America, not like sunny Southport.”

The worst attack on children in Britain occurred in 1996, when 43-year-old Thomas Hamilton shot dead 16 kindergarten children and their teacher in a school gym in Dunblane, Scotland. In the following years, private ownership of almost all handguns was banned in Britain.

Mass shootings and killings with firearms are rare in the UK; in the year to March 2023, knives were used in around 40% of homicides.