Britain was plunged into “disbelief” on Tuesday after a knife attack killed three girls and injured eight others at a dance class in Southport, northwest England.
The news of the death of a nine-year-old girl on Tuesday morning has further aggravated the trauma experienced by the population of this small seaside town after the tragedy which took place on Monday, in the middle of the school holidays, during a children’s activity based around the music of the American star Taylor Swift.
The first two victims, who died on Monday, were aged six and seven.
The police are questioning a 17-year-old boy arrested shortly after the incident but have not yet given any indication of a possible motive, simply stating that the terrorist lead was not being considered at this stage.
In Southport, the population is horrified. Tributes are pouring in: passers-by leave flowers, cards or stuffed animals in Hart Street, the street of mourning.
“I can’t believe it happened so close to here,” said Leanne Hassan, whose daughter was at a nearby daycare. “Children should be safe in a holiday club… They should be able to enjoy their holidays without fear of being stabbed.”
The population is in a state of “shock, disbelief and frustration as they wait for news of the other injured,” Nigel Fawcett-Jones, chaplain of a local evangelical association, also told AFP.
According to the latest police report, five of the eight injured children are in “critical” condition.
The parents of the nine-year-old girl who was killed were Portuguese and originally from the island of Madeira, the Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities Abroad, Jose Cesario, confirmed to AFP.
Two adults were also seriously injured, probably while trying to “protect” the children. The British media have notably mentioned one of the club’s leaders, Leanne Lucas, whose courage is being praised on social networks, like that of other “heroes” who intervened during the attack.
“Pain and Sorrow”
After Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer went to the scene of the attack on Tuesday afternoon, where he laid a wreath of white flowers among the many bouquets left by residents, then spent a few moments reflecting, his face downcast.
He stressed that families were experiencing “raw pain and grief that most of us cannot imagine.”
According to the account of events given by the police, who were called to the scene shortly before noon on Monday (7 a.m. in Quebec), the assailant entered the building and began attacking the children who were participating in this activity, presented by the organizers on social networks as a dance and yoga class on the theme of Taylor Swift.
The singer, who is currently on a world tour, said she was “completely shocked” in a message posted on Instagram. “They were just little kids in a dance class.”
British fans of the singer have launched an online collection which has already raised tens of thousands of euros in just a few hours.
The local football club cancelled a friendly match scheduled for the evening and opened its stadium lounge for locals to gather after the tragedy.
A vigil is planned for the end of the day.
The police have not given any details about the suspect, apart from his age and the fact that he is from Cardiff, Wales, fuelling impatience and anger among some people and the spread of false information about his background.
According to the BBC, his family comes from Rwanda, a sensitive issue as the last elections in July were marked by a rise of the anti-immigration hard right.
Heckled by part of the audience present in Southport, Keir Starmer said he was “determined” to combat knife violence, a phenomenon that has been on the rise in the United Kingdom in recent years and often involves young people.
“But this is not the time to play politics, this is the time to focus on families,” he said.