LONDON — A shocking incident unfolded in northwest England on Monday, resulting in at least eight individuals, including children, suffering from stab wounds. The local police force confirmed that a man has been apprehended and a knife has been confiscated.
The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, expressed his horror at the incident, describing it as “deeply shocking and horrendous.”
Merseyside Police were alerted to the incident around midday, with the location being pinpointed to an address in Southport, a coastal town in close proximity to Liverpool. The police declared it a “major incident”, however, they reassured the public that there was no broader threat. They urged people to steer clear of the area.
The North West Ambulance Service reported that they had attended to eight individuals with stab wounds. The victims were subsequently transported to nearby hospitals, with one of them being a children’s hospital.
Reports from the BBC and other media outlets suggested that the incident took place at a community center. The center was hosting a dance and yoga event, themed around pop star Taylor Swift, for children of primary school age.
A local shop owner, Bare Varathan, recounted the horrifying scene of seven to ten children, bleeding and fleeing from the building. “They had been stabbed here, here, here, everywhere,” he said, gesturing towards the neck, back, and chest. “They were all aged about 10. One of them was really seriously injured.”
Colin Parry, who owns an auto repair shop in the vicinity of the attack, expressed his disbelief at the incident. He compared it to something one might expect in America, not in the usually peaceful Southport.
Agree