The three children killed in a knife attack at a dance class in Southport have been named as Bebe King (6), Elsie Dot Stancombe (7), and Alice DaSilva Aguiar (9).
Eleven children and two adults were stabbed in what police described as a “ferocious attack” in a studio on Hart Street on Monday morning during a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class for children.
Five children and two adults remain in a critical condition in hospital.
Bebe’s family said: “No words can describe the devastation that has hit our family as we try to deal with the loss of our little girl Bebe.”
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Alice’s family 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. Love from your hero Daddy and Mummy.”
A 17-year-old boy, from the Lancashire village of Banks but born in Cardiff, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, with police saying the motive remains unclear.
The suspect, who police said was armed with a knife, was being questioned on Tuesday. The force is not treating the incident as terrorism-related.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer visited Southport on Tuesday afternoon to lay flowers at the scene and pay his respects. The brief visit, lasting barely two minutes, was marred by hostile shouts from some members of the public.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Starmer said he came to pay his respects “to the victims and families who are going through raw pain and grief that most of us can’t imagine – I can’t imagine, as a dad myself”.
He said he had received a briefing about the ongoing investigation and wanted to thank emergency services for their efforts.
Earlier, the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, travelled to the Merseyside town and laid flowers at the police cordon on Hart Street, along with the Southport MP, Patrick Hurley, the Merseyside police chief constable, Serena Kennedy, Merseyside fire and rescue service’s chief fire officer, Phil Garrigan, and the Merseyside police and crime commissioner, Emily Spurrell.
Taylor Swift spoke out about the attack on Tuesday, saying she was “completely in shock”. The US singer said in a post on Instagram: “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.”
Mr Hurley urged people to avoid speculation on social media that could “inflame tensions” in the area. “The town doesn’t want that. The town is in mourning, the town is in shock, and we need to make sure that what is online is reflective of the reality on the ground,” he said.
Local residents described scenes of panic and terror in the immediate aftermath of the attack, as parents frantically tried to find their children, many of whom were being treated for their injuries on the street.
Colin Parry, the owner of Masters Vehicle Body Repairs, about 50m from the dance studio, said he had a heated exchange with a person he believed to be the attacker moments before the stabbings took place.
“He came down our driveway in a taxi and didn’t pay for the taxi, so I confronted him at that point. He was quite aggressive, he said: ‘What are you gonna do about it?’” Mr Parry recalled.
Mr Parry added that a member of staff then saw “about 10 kids go running past him, all bleeding, and one of them collapsed on the floor”.
ITV News published footage of a masked individual pacing in front of a house they say was later raided by police in Banks, a village about 8km from the scene of the attack.
An individual wearing a green hoodie and a face mask can be seen walking back and forth outside the house, with footage later showing several police cars and a group of officers, including some who are armed, appearing at the same house. – Guardian