LONDON (AP) — In a “ferocious” assault that left children covered in blood rushing into the street to escape the horror, a teenage teenager with a knife attacked a children’s dance and yoga class in northwest England on Monday, killing two kids and wounded eleven others, according to witnesses and police.
In connection with the incident in Southport, a seaside town close to Liverpool, a 17-year-old teenager was taken into custody on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, according to Merseyside Police. Although the reason was unclear, authorities stated that the attack was not being investigated as a possible act of terrorism.
Six of the nine injured children are in critical condition. According to officials, two injured adults who attempted to shield them were also in critical condition.
Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy stated, “We believe the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked.”
For kids ages about six to eleven, the Taylor Swift-themed program took place during the first week of summer break from school. The two-hour program included yoga, dancing, and bracelet-making, according to the advertisement.
Witnesses reported seeing toddlers covered in blood and hearing spine-tingling screams.
Bare Varathan, the owner of a nearby store, stated, “They were in the road, running from the nursery.” “Here, here, here, everywhere,” the speaker said, gesturing to the chest, neck, and back.
described the assault as “deeply shocking and horrifying.”
Officers were dispatched to an address in Southport, a beach town of roughly 100,000 residents close to Liverpool, at approximately midday, according to Merseyside Police. Although it was described as a “major incident,” the public was not at greater risk, it was stated.
Kennedy added, “They were shocked to discover that numerous people—many of them children—had been the target of a vicious attack and had sustained serious injuries when they arrived.”
The owner of an auto body shop, Colin Parry, stated that the majority of the stabbing victims seemed to be young girls.
Parry remarked, “The moms are coming here now and screaming.” “It resembles a scene from a scary film.” It’s not like sunny Southport; it feels more like something from America.
According to authorities, the unidentified suspect resided in a community approximately 5 miles (8 kilometers) away from the attack scene. His birthplace was Cardiff, Wales.
Ryan Carney, who lives on the street with his mother, reported that his mother observed children being carried by emergency personnel who were “covered in red, covered in blood.” She claimed to have seen the children’s back stab wounds.
“This kind of stuff never really happens here,” he remarked. “You hear of stabbings and other incidents in big cities, like Manchester and London. This is Southport in the sun. That is the term used by folks. It’s sunny outside. It’s a beautiful location to be.
The deadliest attack on children in British history was in 1996 when Thomas Hamilton, then 43 years old, opened fire in a Dunblane, Scotland school gymnasium, killing 16 kindergarten students and their teacher. Almost all handguns were thereafter outlawed for private ownership in the United Kingdom.
Gun-related killings and mass shootings are uncommon in Britain, where, in the year ending in March 2023, knives were used in almost 40% of homicides. Numerous incidents that have made headlines have increased fears and prompted demands that the government take further action to restrict access to bladed weapons.
The Associated Press’s Jill Lawless and Brian Melley
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