A knife attacker at a dancing class in northern England on Monday killed two children and injured nine others, six critically, according to police.
A 17-year-old adolescent has been detained on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in connection with the incident in Southport, near Liverpool in northwest England, which also left two adults critically injured, Merseyside Police said in a news conference.
According to AFP, police chief Serena Kennedy stated that counter-terror police had offered their assistance, but the incident was not being classified as terrorist-related, and the purpose was unknown. All of the victims had been stabbed, she said.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters that “the events today are just truly awful; the entire country is deeply shocked.”
“Our thoughts and condolences are with the victims, families, friends, and wider community. It is almost impossible to imagine the grief,” he added.
According to Kennedy, police were called to a property where a Taylor Swift-themed dancing class for young children was taking place shortly before midday (1100 GMT).
Officers were “shocked to find that multiple people, many of whom were children, had been subjected to a ferocious attack,” she said.
The suspect walked in from the street and began attacking the children as adults in the room attempted to defend them, Kennedy stated.
However, armed officers detained the suspect and seized a knife, according to AFP’s report.
“As a mom and nana, I can’t begin to imagine the pain and suffering that the families of the victims are going through,” said Kennedy.
The North West Ambulance Service reported that 11 people were treated at the scene for stab wounds before being transported by ambulance and helicopter to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and other local hospitals.
Bare Varathan, owner of a local shop, told PA that he observed “seven to ten children” who were “injured, bleeding,” and that they had been stabbed.
The suspect has been apprehended, and “enquiries are ongoing to establish the motive for this tragic incident,” according to police.
The incident occurred in a peaceful neighbourhood with residential streets.
According to an AFP reporter on the scene, those inhabitants who were permitted to exit the police cordon that had sealed it off were shocked.
One man in a nearby neighbourhood, who did not want to be identified, told AFP, “It’s not what you expect to see in Southport.”
