A 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of three young girls and ten counts of attempted murder following a knife attack at a summer dance class in Southport, a seaside town in northwest England.
The tragic incident occurred during a “Taylor Swift yoga and dance workshop” on Monday, leaving the nation in shock and prompting two nights of violent protests.
The teen, whose identity is protected due to his age, is set to appear at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Thursday. The attack claimed the lives of three girls aged six to nine and left eight other children and two adults, who tried to intervene, with stab wounds.
Five children remain in critical condition in hospital.
The incident sparked unrest in Southport and London, where thousands gathered near the prime minister’s Downing Street residence on Wednesday, chanting slogans such as “Save our kids,” “We want our country back,” and “Stop the boats.”
The protests were fuelled by false information spread on social media, which incorrectly suggested the suspect was a radical Islamist migrant. Anti-immigrant demonstrators converged on Southport, exacerbating tensions.
Police have clarified that the attack was not terrorism-related and confirmed that the suspect was born in Britain, dispelling rumours about his origins. Chief Constable Serena Kennedy addressed the media, stating, “Whilst these charges are a significant milestone within this investigation, this remains very much a live investigation.”
The violence and subsequent protests have drawn widespread condemnation and calls for calm as the community grapples with the aftermath of the horrific event.
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