UK: Two children killed in knife attack at dance school

Children's activity turns to carnage: Two children died and eleven people, including nine children, were injured Monday in a “knife attack” at a dance school in the northwest of England.

Police arrested a 17-year-old boy and said they were ruling out a terrorist motive at this stage, saying the alleged attacker's motives remained “uncertain” at this stage.

The attack happened Monday just before noon (1100 GMT) in the small coastal town of Southport, about 20 kilometres north of Liverpool.

“The children were attending a Taylor Swift-themed event at a dance school when the attacker, armed with a knife, entered the building and began attacking the children inside,” Merseyside Police chief Serena Kennedy said at a press conference at the end of the day.

Describing a “ferocious attack”, she listed the heavy toll: two children killed, nine others injured, six of whom were in a “critical” condition, and two adults also injured and in a serious condition, probably while trying to “protect” the children.

“All of the injured suffered stab wounds,” she added.

“I know the whole country is deeply shocked,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer reacted. “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. It is impossible to imagine their grief,” he said in a video message.

Dave Kitchin, the local emergency services chief, described the “devastating scene” seen by emergency services arriving at the scene at a press conference.

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The attack “will leave a lasting impression on our community”, he added.

Shortly after the attack, police arrested a man and said they had seized a knife. A little later, she specified that the suspect was a “17-year-old man”, currently in custody.

The emergency services indicated that they had treated and transported several injured people to hospitals, including one for children.

A large police presence was deployed on the scene, noted an AFP journalist.

– “Horrible” –

Several witnesses described the “screams” of women rushing to the scene after learning of the attack.

Bare Varathan, a local shopkeeper, told PA he saw “seven to 10 children” outside the building, “injured and bleeding”.

Colin Parry, who also runs a business on the street where the attack took place, described the scene as “horror film-worthy”, adding that he saw mothers running screaming towards the scene of the attack.

© AFP – Darren Staples

“All our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected,” she said, speaking in the House of Commons before the death toll was known.

The United Kingdom, where the carrying of firearms is strictly limited, is experiencing a resurgence in knife violence (attacks on people, burglaries, etc.), which often involves young people.

They increased by 7%, to nearly 50,000 last year, compared to 2022, and have almost doubled in ten years, according to the Office for National Statistics.

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