On Monday, two children were killed and several others injured in a stabbing attack at a children’s center in Merseyside, England, that was hosting a Taylor Swift-themed dance party.
A major incident has been declared at a children’s hospital in a UK city after a man with a knife attacked a group of children at a summer holiday party. Police were called to the children’s centre on Hart Street, Southport, at 11:47am (6:50am) on Monday, and Merseyside Police have charged a 17-year-old male suspect “from Cardiff” with murder and attempted murder.
It was initially thought that one child had died in the mass stabbing attack, but Merseyside Police Chief Superintendent Serena Kennedy revealed on Monday evening that two children had died from stab wounds, while nine other children were injured, six of them seriously.
Police Commissioner Kennedy praised the two adults injured in the attack, saying they were “bravely trying to protect children”.
She said at a press conference this evening that officers who arrived on the scene this morning were “shocked to find multiple people, many of whom are children, had been the subject of a vicious attack and suffered serious injuries.”
A police chief added: “It is believed children were attending a Taylor Swift event at the dance school when a knife-wielding assailant entered the premises and began attacking children. We believe the injured adults were bravely trying to protect children who were under attack.”
“…The investigation is at an early stage and the motive for the incident is unknown, however North West Counter Terrorism Police are offering assistance to Merseyside Police as the full details of the incident become clear. At this time the investigation is not being treated as terrorism related.”
The officer’s statement confirms what had been reported earlier. Local Newspaper of Liverpool Echo The attack reportedly took place at a summer dance camp hosted by the Child and Mother Support Center, which said the event was a Taylor Swift-themed dance party for children between the ages of three and 12.
Emergency services declared a major incident and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool also declared a major incident as it received casualties.
