Taylor Swift declared on Tuesday that she was “completely in shock” following the deaths of three children in a small British seaside town during a dance lesson honoring her music.
In what police described as a “ferocious” knife attack on Monday in Southport, a beach town in northwest England close to Liverpool, eight more youngsters were hurt, five of them critically. Authorities declared the third child dead on Tuesday.
Merseyside Police identified three of the victims as Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven years old, Bebe King, six, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine. According to the force, two adults who were attempting to protect the kids also suffered serious injuries.
Taylor Swift stated in an interview that “the horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously and I’m just completely in shock.”
The identity of a kid charged with a crime between the ages of 10 and 17 will not be revealed outside of court, according to UK legislation.
Colin Parry, the owner of the company next to the community center holding the kids’ event, told British network Sky News shortly after the incident that one of his coworkers called and instructed him to go outside, where he saw complete devastation.
“It was undoubtedly deliberate. Not once was it. He stabbed these youngsters multiple times, he claimed. (NBC News’ parent firm Comcast is the owner of Sky News.)
Among those who expressed shock at the attack was King Charles III, who declared on Monday that both he and Queen Camilla were.