Two children were killed and nine others wounded in a mass stabbing at a dance school in the U.K. on Monday, police in the northwest England town of Southport said. A 17-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder and a knife was seized, police said.
Six of the nine wounded children were in critical condition, Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy told reporters during a news conference. All the children suffered stab wounds, Kennedy said.
Two adults who were injured in the attack were also in critical condition, Kennedy said. Investigators believe the adults were injured while trying to protect the children, she said.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla were shocked by the attack, Charles said in a statement posted to social media, calling the assault “utterly horrific.”
“We send our most heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have so tragically lost their lives, and to all those affected by this truly appalling attack,” Charles said.
Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, also expressed sympathy for the victims and their families.
“As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through,” the couple said. “We send our love, thoughts and prayers to all those involved in this horrid and heinous attack.”
Police received reports about the attack at 11:47 a.m., Kennedy said.
“When they arrived, they were shocked to find that multiple people, many of whom were children, had been subjected to a ferocious attack and had suffered serious injuries,” Kennedy said.
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Kennedy didn’t identify the suspect in custody. She said the teen lived in Banks, about a 15-minute drive away from Southport, and that he was originally from Cardiff, the capital of Wales.
Investigators were working to determine a motive for the attack, police said in a statement.
“The incident is not currently being treated as terror-related and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident,” the statement said.
The children were attending a Taylor Swift-themed event at the dance school when the attacker entered with a knife and started to attack, Kennedy said.
“As a mum and a nanna, I can’t begin to imagine the pain and suffering that the families of the victims are going through,” she said.
North West Ambulance Service said eight people with stab injuries were transported to regional hospitals, including a pediatric facility. The identities of the victims were not immediately clear.
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital declared a major incident and asked parents not to bring their children into its emergency room unless it was urgent, the Reuters news agency reported.
A local business owner, Colin Parry, who said he’d called the police, told the U.K.’s Press Association news agency he believed six or seven “young girls” had been stabbed.
“The mothers are coming here now and screaming. It is like a scene from a horror movie,” he said. “It’s like something from America, not like sunny Southport.”
A parent who asked to remain anonymous told the Press Association his “daughter was in [the attack] and she was traumatized. She ran away and she’s safe.”
“Horrendous and deeply shocking news emerging from Southport. My thoughts are with all those affected,” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on social media. “I would like to thank the police and emergency services for their swift response. I am being kept updated as the situation develops.”
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