LONDON.- A 9-year-old girl who had been injured in a stabbing attack at a themed yoga and dance class on Taylor Swift died today – July 30 – bringing the death toll in north-west England to three, while police are questioning a 17-year-old suspect arrested minutes after the shooting. attack.
The other deceased were click aged 6 and 7, according to Merseyside Police.
Eight children and two adults remain in hospital following the Southport attack. The two adults and five of the children are in critical condition.
Swift said she was in complete shock and was still coming to terms with the horror of the incident.
They were just little girls in a dance class, she wrote on Instagram, “I don’t even know where to begin to express my condolences to these families.
A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Residents left flowers and stuffed animals in tribute to the victims outside a police cordon on a brick-lined street in the seaside resort near Liverpool nicknamed sunny Southport, which attracts holidaymakers from across north-west England with its beach and pier.
Scene of the incident
Witnesses described horror-movie scenes as bloodied children fled the attack shortly before midday on Monday. The suspect was arrested shortly afterward. Police said he was born in Cardiff, Wales, and had lived for several years in a village about three miles (5 kilometers) from Southport. No formal charges had yet been filed.
Police said detectives did not consider the attack to be terrorism-related and were not looking for any other suspects.
We believe the adults who were injured bravely tried to protect the children who were being attacked, said Serena Kennedy, chief constable of Merseyside Police.
It was the latest attack in a country where a recent rise in stabbings has sparked fear and prompted calls for the government to do more to control bladed weapons.
Witnesses reported hearing blood-curdling screams and seeing blood-covered children leaving the establishment, which hosts events ranging from pregnancy workshops and meditation sessions to women’s boot camps.
Thematic class about Taylor Swift
The attack occurred during a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class for children between the ages of 6 and 11.
Gun murders and mass shootings are rare in the UK, where knives were used in around 40% of homicides up to March 2023.
Although mass stabbings are also rare, several cases in recent years have sparked fear and outrage and received enormous attention.
FUENTE: AP