Taylor Swift speaks out after stabbing in Southport during dance class

The singer-songwriter responded on Tuesday, expressing his horror at the crime and his sympathy for the victims.

“The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport continues to wash over me,” Swift wrote on Instagram. She was “completely shocked,” she said.

“They were just little kids in a dance class,” Swift added. “I don’t know how I can ever express my condolences to those families.”

Eight other children suffered stab wounds in the attack, five of them and two adults were in critical condition, police said.

Police on Monday described the attack as “brutal” and said armed officers had arrested a teenager with a knife on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy told a press conference on Monday that the children were attending a Swift-inspired event at a dance school when the attacker, armed with a knife, entered the premises and began the attack.

“We believe the injured adults were trying to protect the children when they were attacked,” Kennedy said.

Police said Tuesday that the teenager, who was not named, was still in custody and urged the public to stop speculating about the incident.

“A name has been mentioned on social media in connection with the suspect in the Southport incident,” police said in a statement. “This name is incorrect and we ask people not to speculate about details of the incident while the investigation is ongoing.”

The attack is not classified as terrorist, police said.

The attack has shocked the local population, with several witnesses describing Monday’s events as “chaos” and recalling the sight of bleeding children in the streets and their mothers “screaming” for help.

Out of respect for the affected families, many shops and bars in the coastal town closed their doors on Tuesday.

A vigil will take place late Tuesday, said Patrick Hurley, a Labour MP for Southport.

Niha Masih and William Booth contributed to this report.