Two children were killed and eleven people were injured, including nine children, in a knife attack late Monday morning in Southport, northwest England, police said.
Among the injured in this “knife attack” carried out during an activity on the theme of the singer Taylor Swift, six children and two adults are in a “critical” condition, said Serena Kennedy, the head of Merseyside police, during a press conference, specifying that the terrorist lead was not favored at the current stage.
Shortly before noon (7 a.m. in Quebec), police were called to a property in this seaside resort located about twenty kilometers north of Liverpool, after being alerted to a possible knife attack, according to a press release from the local Merseyside police.
Armed officers “arrested a man and seized a knife,” she added, before specifying in the afternoon that the suspect was a “17-year-old man” currently in custody.
North West Ambulance Service said it had so far treated “eight patients with stab wounds” who had been taken to several hospitals, including one for children.
While the ages of the victims have not been specified, several media outlets have reported that the attack took place at a location where a children’s event themed around American singer Taylor Swift was being held.
A large police force has been deployed on site, and residents of this residential street have been asked to stay at home, an AFP journalist noted.
Several witnesses also described the “screams” of women rushing to the scene after learning of the attack.
” Horrible “
Bare Varathan, who runs a local shop, told the PA news agency he saw “seven to 10 children” outside the building, “injured and bleeding”.
Colin Parry, who also runs a shop on the street where the attack took place, described the scene as “horror film-like”, adding that he saw mothers running screaming towards the scene of the attack.
Reacting to X, Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the event as “horrific and deeply shocking”, assuring that he would remain informed of developments.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper praised the “swift and courageous response” of police and emergency services.
“All our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected,” she said, speaking in the House of Commons.
The United Kingdom is experiencing a rise in knife violence (attacks on people, burglaries, etc.), which often involve young people.
They increased by 7% to almost 50,000 last year compared to 2022, and have almost doubled in ten years, according to the National Statistics Office.