A third girl has died in the UK after one of the worst attacks on children in decades. Here’s what to know

By Ivana Kottasová and Radina Gigova, CNN

(CNN) — The United Kingdom was left shaken after three children were stabbed to death and eight others were injured in a knife attack in Southport, in one of the worst assaults against children in the country in decades.

The attack took place at a Taylor Swift themed event at a dance school in the seaside town in northwest England, sparking disbelief over why would anyone target children having fun during the summer holiday.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the “whole country” was deeply shocked by the “truly awful” attack, while King Charles III said he was “profoundly shocked” by the “utterly horrific incident.”

Here is what we know about the attack.

What happened?

Police said Monday two girls, aged 6 and 7, were killed and six of the nine that were injured were in critical condition. Officers said the following day that another child, a 9-year-old girl, had died as a result of her injuries.

Two adults were also critically injured, police said, adding that they suffered their injures because they “were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked.”

Merseyside Police said the attack took place at a Taylor Swift event at a dance school in Southport on Monday morning, and the force said it received a call for help just before midday. Emergency services, including 13 ambulances and other specialized resources, were sent to the scene and a “major incident” was declared.

Eyewitness describes aftermath of stabbing

An eyewitness to the knife attack told CNN affiliate TVN24 on Wednesday he had been driving in the area with a colleague when he saw children running across the road and “a bloodied woman leaning against a car on the sidewalk.”

“Everyone was crying, screaming,” the eyewitness Mr. Marcin told TVN24.

“There was a white car, all covered in blood, smeared from the hands,” Marcin said, adding: “Five or six children inside, a woman, and they were all screaming.”

Marcin also said he saw a woman lying on the street with “a lot of blood” coming from her head.

His colleague Joe helped carry the girls who had been attacked from the house, Marcin said. The first girl his colleague Joe brought out was unconscious. Her head was “severely cut” and she “had a hole in her back,” Marcin said.

As Joe continued to bring children out from the house people “from the neighbourhood started gathering, bringing towels, some items,” according to Marcin.

“We didn’t even have time to talk,” Marcin said. “We were in such a shock, such a frenzy.”

Marcin said Joe told him later that the attacker was stood on the landing. “A child lay beside him (and he was) stood with a large knife, and that was it,” Marcin detailed.

“When the first three ambulances arrived, they took care of the last children brought out. I didn’t know the condition of each one because everyone was seriously injured, blood was dripping from each child.”

“Everyone was crying, screaming, some were picking up their children, and some were not because they were lying on the ground.”

Then a fourth ambulance arrived. Marcin said: “I jumped out and said I had someone very, very critical.”

Marcin added that after the girl was taken to hospital he stayed in contact with her mother. The next morning he found out the girl had tragically died.

“Police, firefighters, and ambulances were very quick, but it felt like an eternity to us. It definitely felt long, especially when someone loses breath in your hands,” Marcin said.

Who are the victims?

Police named the girls who died in the attack as Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Bebe King, 6, and 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe.

Photographs of the three victims that were shared by their families show Alice wearing a princess-like white dress, while Elsie is pictured smiling into the camera in what appears to be a school uniform. Bebe is shown sporting two ponytails, looking delighted while pointing to her t-shirt that shows the picture of Elphaba and Galinda, the two witches from the “Wicked” musical.

Police also shared a tribute from the family of Bebe King who said: “No words can describe the devastation that has hit our family as try to deal with the loss of our little girl Bebe.”

The parents of Dasilver Aguiar called the nine-year-old “our princess” and said: “Keep smiling and dancing like you love to do our Princess, like we said before to you, you’re always our princess and no one would change that.”

Suspect arrested – but no motive known yet

The police said a 17-year-old minor was arrested at the scene on “suspicion of murder and attempted murder.” He was taken to the police station and was being interviewed on Tuesday morning, the police said.

Merseyside Police’s Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said the suspect was from Banks in Lancashire and was originally from Cardiff in Wales.

She said the suspect was armed with a knife when he walked into the school in Southport, but give no other details on him or his apparent motive, other than saying the attack was not being treated as terror-related.

Worst mass stabbing attack against kids

The incident on Monday is the worst mass stabbing attack targeting children in the UK in decades – and possibly ever. While knife crime has risen across the country over the past decade – with a slight dip during the pandemic years – mass stabbing incidents are extremely rare.

The number of knife crimes in England rose to 48,341 in the year to April 2024, from 27,667 in the year to April 2014, according for the Office for National Statistics. More than a quarter of the incidents took place in London.

But children have been targeted in the UK in other types of attacks. Several children, including an 8-year old girl were killed in a terror attack at the concert of pop singer Ariana Grande in Manchester in May 2017.

And 16 children aged between 5 and 6 were murdered in a school shooting in the Scottish town of Dunblane in 1996. The massacre stunned the country and led to a ban on the private ownership of all handguns in mainland Britain.

What has been the reaction?

Many in the area and across the country were left in disbelief after learning about what happened. Southport is a small seaside resort and a popular summer destination for families.

Starmer and other officials visited the site of the attack on Tuesday, paying tributes to the victims and thanking emergency responders who attended the scene.

Starmer laid a wreath of cream and yellow-colored flowers at the scene, alongside floral tributes left there by the local community.

Taylor Swift, whose music was the theme of the dance class that was targeted by the attack, said Tuesday she was “completely in shock.”

“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. 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,” Swift wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.

Protesters clash with police

Merseyside Police said Tuesday that far-right protesters clashed with police in Southport, throwing bricks at a local mosque, setting cars and police vehicles alight and hurling bottles at police.

Prime Minister Starmer said the group had “hijacked” the peaceful vigil “with violence and thuggery” and those involved “will feel the full force of the law.”

Police said the protesters are believed to be supporters of the far-right English Defence League, who took to the streets over unconfirmed reports speculating that the attacker was Muslim.

“There has been much speculation and hypothesis around the status of a 17-year-old male who is currently in police custody, and some individuals are using this to bring violence and disorder to our streets,” Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss said in the statement.

“We have already said that the person arrested was born in the UK, and speculation helps nobody at this time.”

Officers were deployed to the scene and faced “criminal behavior and violence with bottles and wheelie bins being thrown at them.”

“Yesterday, our officers and other members of the emergency services were faced with one of the most difficult situations they will ever face. Tonight, they find themselves being attacked as they endeavor to prevent disorder,” Goss said.

The North West Ambulance Service said it treated 39 police officers injured in the violence, 27 of whom were taken to hospital.

Officers “sustained serious injuries including fractures, lacerations, a suspected broken nose and concussion,” Merseyside Police said. “Other officers have suffered varying degrees of injury including head injuries, serious facial injuries, and one was knocked unconscious.”

Three police dogs were also injured, it added.

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CNN’s Louis Mian, Luke Wolagiewicz, Jessie Gretener, Niamh Kennedy, Pauline Lockwood, Benjamin Brown and Lauren Kent contributed reporting.