LONDON — A third child has died following a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance class in Southport, North West England, police said Tuesday.
The singer-songwriter responded Tuesday, expressing horror at the crime and sympathy for the victims.
“The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously,” Swift wrote on Instagram. It left her “completely in shock,” she said.
“These were just little kids at a dance class,” Swift added. “I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”
José Cesário, Portugal’s secretary of state for Portuguese communities, identified the 9-year-old victim as Alice Aguiar and said her parents are originally from the Portuguese island of Madeira.
“The parents are in a state of shock,” Cesário told Portuguese media, according to the BBC. “We are going to continue to give them the support they need. We are in direct contact with an aunt of the young girl.”
Eight other children suffered stab wounds during the attack, and five of them are in critical condition, as are two adults, police said.
Police on Monday described the attack as “ferocious” and said armed officers arrested a teenage boy with a knife on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy of the Merseyside police said at a news conference Monday that the children were at a Swift-inspired event at a dance school when the offender, who was armed with a knife, walked into the premises and started to attack.
“We believe that the adults who were injured were trying to protect the children at the time they were attacked,” Kennedy said.
Police said Tuesday that the teenager, who has not been named, remains in custody, and they urged people to refrain from speculating about the incident.
“A name has been shared on social media in connection with the suspect in the incident in Southport,” police said in a statement. “This name is incorrect and we would urge people not to speculate on details of the incident while the investigation is ongoing.”
The attack is not being treated as terrorism-related, police said.
The attack has shaken the local community. Multiple witnesses described Monday’s events as “mayhem,” recalling the sight of children bleeding in the road and their mothers “screaming” for help.
Many local shops and pubs in the seaside town shut their doors Tuesday out of respect for the families affected.
A vigil will take place late Tuesday, said Patrick Hurley, a Labour Party lawmaker for Southport.
Niha Masih and William Booth contributed to this report.
