British Prime Minister Keir Starmer probably spoke for everyone in the United Kingdom when he said he knew “the whole country is in shock” and that it was “almost impossible to imagine the grief and trauma” experienced by the families of the victims of the violent crime in the English seaside town of Southport that has shocked the nation.
At 11.40 a.m. on Monday morning, the perpetrator entered the “Hart Space” event center in the center of the 90,000-inhabitant city of Southport near Liverpool armed with a knife. At the time, the “Hart Space”, which also offers birth preparation courses, was hosting a yoga and dance holiday event with a Taylor Swift theme for children between the ages of six and eleven. The perpetrator stabbed those present. Two children, aged six and seven, died on Monday, and a third, nine-year-old Alice Aguiar from nearby Sefton, succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday morning. Eight other children are still in hospital, Merseyside Police announced on Tuesday, five of them in a critical condition.
Two adults tried to protect the children and were also injured. One of them is still in critical condition: the children’s yoga teacher Leanne Lucas, who organized the course.
Colin Parry, who works in a garage adjacent to the “Hart Space” and called the police, described the aftermath of the knife attack as a “scene from a horror film”. It was “like something from America, not like sunny Southport”.
The motive is still unclear
The police arrested a 17-year-old suspect at the scene of the crime, who, according to witnesses, had arrived in a taxi. He is accused of murder and attempted murder. The motive is still unclear. The crime is not currently being classified as a terrorist act, said Serena Kennedy, head of Merseyside Police. There is no danger to the public and there are no other suspects.
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Southport MP Patrick Hurley described the attack as “the worst crime to hit the region in living memory”. Many of his colleagues in Parliament joined him in thanking the emergency services and police.
Rescue crews from the Great North Air Ambulance unit, who provided first aid at the scene, said on Tuesday: “Many of our calls are harrowing, but this one was particularly difficult for our doctor, paramedic, pilot and other team members involved in the call.” Paramedics and firefighters were also among the first to lay flowers near the scene. Countless more stuffed animals, flowers and cards were added throughout Tuesday.
Condolences from the Royal Family
Taylor Swift, to whom the event was dedicated, posted a message on Instagram on Tuesday, writing: “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport continues to wash over me and I am in complete shock. It was just young children in a dance class. I have no idea how to express my condolences to the families.” King Charles and Queen Camilla wrote that they were “deeply shocked” by the “absolutely horrific knife attack,” and the heir to the throne, William and Kate, chose in social networks similar words to the Prime Minister: “As parents, we cannot even begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of the people killed or injured in Southport today are going through.”
The Sefton local authority, which is responsible for Southport, called for a memorial service in the city centre on Tuesday evening.