3 Girls Die During Taylor Swift-Themed UK Event
A tragic knife attack in Southport, UK, left three young girls dead and nine injured. Two adults are in critical condition for trying to protect the children during a “Taylor Swift Yoga and Dance Workshop” last Monday, July 29.
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy reported what happened, saying, “It is understood that the children were attending a Taylor Swift event at a dance school when the offender armed with a knife walked into the premises and started to attack the children.”
Kennedy continued, “We believe that the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked.”
Two girls, six-year-old Bebe King and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, died immediately after the attack. A third nine-year-old victim, Alice Aguiar, passed away in the hospital from her injuries. Five more children and two adults remain under close medical supervision.
Authorities claim that a 17-year-old male who has not been identified was apprehended on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. The suspect is believed to be from Cardiff, Wales. He reportedly moved to Southport in 2013.
Extreme right-wing groups have been protesting the attack. They believe that the suspect is involved with Islam. Their protests turned into aggression when hundreds of people began throwing items at a local mosque on Tuesday. Police think that the crowd is comprised of members of the English Defence League, a group that has become known for their violent demonstrations against Islam.
Taylor Swift Responds
In the wake of the horrendous violence, Taylor Swift said that she was “in shock” through an Instagram story published on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old pop singer wrote, “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock… The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and first responders. 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.”
Meanwhile, Swift’s fans have raised tens of thousands of dollars to help the victims and their families. The fundraising page shares that they are collaborating with Alder Hey Children’s Charity to supplement the funeral expenses of the two young children who died.
Cristina Jones, a member of the UK and EU Taylor Swift Facebook group, informed BBC Newsbeat, “The idea that those parents are going through hell right now and the idea they had any financial stress over this breaks our hearts. We can’t make it better in any way. But taking away some stress was definitely a priority for us,” Jones said.
