Two children killed and eleven people injured in stabbing at dance class in England

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Two children were killed and eleven others injured in a knife attack in northwest England.

A 17-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in connection with the stabbing in Southport, a seaside town near Liverpool, Merseyside Police said. The motive was unclear, but police said investigators were not treating the attack as terrorist-related.

Nine children were injured in the attack on Monday – six of them are said to be in critical condition.

Two injured adults who tried to protect the students are also in critical condition, police said.

The Taylor Swift-themed workshop took place during the first week of the school holidays for children aged 6 to 11. According to an online listing, the two-hour session was led by two women – a yoga teacher and a dance instructor.

Witnesses reported hearing bloodcurdling screams and seeing blood-soaked children emerging from the incident.

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

The suspect, whose identity has not yet been established, lived in a village about 8 kilometers from the crime scene, police said. He was originally from Cardiff in Wales.

Ryan Carney, who lives with his mother on the street, said his mother saw emergency workers carrying children “who were red and covered in blood. She said she could see the stab wounds on the children’s backs.”

“None of these things ever happen here,” he said. “You hear about them, stabbings and things like that in big cities, in Manchester, in London. This is sunny Southport. That’s what people call it. The sun is shining. It’s a beautiful place.”