LONDON - Taylor Swift said she’s "completely in shock" after a 17-year-old boy attacked children at a Swift-themed dance and yoga class on Monday in Southport, England, leaving three dead and five in critical condition.
A 9-year-old girl wounded in the stabbing attack died on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to three. Merseyside Police said the other fatalities were girls aged 6 and 7.
Eight children and two adults remained hospitalized. Both adults and five of the children are in critical condition, authorities said.
The teenage boy was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Swift, who recently brought her Eras Tour to the U.K., posted on her Instagram story on Tuesday that "the horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock."
"The loss of life and innocence and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families, and first responders," the superstar wrote. "These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families."
UK dance class attack: What’s known
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Stabbing in UK leaves two children dead, several injured
Footage reported by @ThePurpleYoda1 shows the police at the scene in Southport, United Kingdom, on Monday. (Credit: @ThePurpleYoda1 via Storyful)
Witnesses described scenes "from a horror movie" as bloodied children ran from the attack just before noon on Monday, according to the Associated Press.
The suspect was arrested soon after. Police said he was born in Cardiff, Wales and had lived for years in a village about 3 miles from Southport. As of Tuesday morning, he had not yet been charged.
Police said detectives are not treating Monday’s attack as terror-related, and they are not looking for any other suspects. They were questioning the suspect on Tuesday and working to understand what motivated the attack, according to the Associated Press.
"We believe the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked," Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said.
Local people left flowers and stuffed animals in tribute at a police cordon on the street lined with brick houses in the seaside resort near Liverpool — nicknamed "sunny Southport" — whose beach and pier attract vacationers from across northwest England.
Tributes to the victims are left by well-wishers on July 30, 2024, in Southport, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack "horrendous and deeply shocking." King Charles III sent his "condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies" to those affected by the "utterly horrific incident."
Prince William and his wife Catherine said that "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 Associated Press contributed to this report.