A third child has died in a mass stabbing that injured 10 others in Southport, U.K., Monday during a Taylor Swift-themed class meant for children, police said Tuesday.
A 9-year-old girl “died in hospital in the early hours” of Tuesday morning, Merseyside Police said in a news release. The two children who died Monday were 6 and 7 years old.
Five of the injured children “are in a critical condition,” Tuesday’s police statement said. “All those injured have suffered stab wounds sustained during the attack. Two adults are also in a critical condition after being injured during the incident,” Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said Monday in a statement shared with USA TODAY.
A 17-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, Kennedy said, noting that he will be interviewed by detectives. The suspect is from the nearby coastal village of Banks and originally from Cardiff in Wales.
Police warned of misinformation regarding the arrest: “A name has been shared on social media in connection with the suspect in the incident in Southport. This name is incorrect and we would urge people not to speculate on details of the incident while the investigation is ongoing.”
Police were called to reports of a stabbing at 11:47 a.m. at an address in the seaside town of Southport in Merseyside, England.
“When they arrived they were shocked to find that multiple people, many of whom were children, had been subjected to a ferocious attack and had suffered serious injuries,” Kennedy said.
“It is understood that the children were attending a Taylor Swift event at a dance school when the offender, who was armed with a knife, walked into the premises and started to attack those inside. We believe that the adults who were injured were trying to protect the children at the time they were attacked.”
The North West Ambulance Service said in a statement that casualties treated at the scene were transported by ambulance and air ambulance to “Alder Hey and Royal Manchester Children’s hospitals, along with Aintree, Southport and Formby District General and Ormskirk General hospitals.”
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BBC and The Telegraph reported that the stabbing took place at The Hart Space venue. A sold-out Swift-themed party – hosted by Enlighten Kids Yoga, a club meant for children 2 to 6 years old – was scheduled to take place between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. BST.
