Two children have died and six others critically injured after a horrific mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift themed children’s dance club.
Merseyside Police confirmed a critical incident yesterday after reports of children being treated for stab wounds at Hart Space Studios were revealed.
Witnesses described the scene as ‘the most horrific thing you could ever witness’.
Colin Parry, speaking to Sky News said: ‘I thought: he’s going to kill them all.
‘It’s like a nightmare – the biggest, horrific thing you could ever witness in your life, seeing little kids like that.’
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested following the attack in Southport, Merseyside.
While officers have ruled out terrorism, his motive remains unclear.
Two children are confirmed to have died, with six others in a critical condition in hospital.
Two adults who were inside the yoga studio are also in critical condition after trying to defend the children.
Leanne Lucas, 35, and Heidi Barlow, 35, organised the workshop and are thought to have managed to save 16 of the 25 children.
Chief Constable Kennedy said: ‘It is understood that the children were attending a Taylor Swift event at a dance hall when the offender, armed with a knife, walked into the premises and started to attack inside.
11.30am: Footage shows a person dressed in a green hoodie and face covering pacing outside a home later raided by police.
11.47am: A man entered a children’s summer club holding a Taylor Swift dance event on Hart Street, Southport, and launched the stabbing attack.
1.30pm: Merseyside Police declare a ‘critical incident’.
2pm: North West Ambulance Service confirm victims have been taken to hospital, with Alder Hay declaring a ‘major incident’.
5.30pm: Merseyside Police confirm a 17-year-old boy from Banks has been arrested.
7pm: Two children confirmed to have died, with six other people in a critical condition.
‘We believe that the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked.
‘As a mum and a nana, I can’t begin to imagine the pain and suffering that the families of the victims are going through.’
A resident told The Sun one of the eachers shut some pupils inside a toilet to try and save them, while the other took some through a fire escape.
He added: ‘I heard some lads from the builders yard and a window cleaner came out and tried to help. They heard shouting, “Get the kids, get the kids”. I don’t know if they’ve tackled him. I heard someone sat on him.’
Merseyside Police a 17-year-old boy from Banks, Lancashire, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Officers said they ‘detained a male and seized a knife’.
He remains in police custody and his identity has not been made public yet.
Investigators have ruled out terrorism, but the motive remains unclear.
He is thought to have accessed the studios because a door was left open in the heat.
A personal trainer at a nearby gym is thought to have restrained him, The Times reports.
Police have confirmed no one else is being sought in connection with the attack after they arrested a 17-year-old boy.
Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell confirmed there is no wider threat to the public.
She said: ‘I am utterly shocked and devastated to hear about the truly appalling incident this morning in Southport.
‘To hear that innocent, defenceless children have been attacked during a Taylor Swift event at a dance school as they enjoyed the start of the school summer holidays is unthinkable and absolutely abhorrent.
‘Thanks to the efforts of police officers, an arrest was made quickly and there is no wider threat to the public.’
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