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2024 Southport stabbing

Coordinates: 53°38′32.5″N 2°59′7.3″W / 53.642361°N 2.985361°W / 53.642361; -2.985361
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2024 Southport stabbing
Map
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Attack site
LocationHart Street, Southport, Merseyside,
United Kingdom
Coordinates53°38′32.5″N 2°59′7.3″W / 53.642361°N 2.985361°W / 53.642361; -2.985361
Date29 July 2024; 3 months ago (2024-07-29)
c. 11:47 (BST (UTC+1))
TargetChildren at a dance workshop
Attack type
Stabbing
Deaths3
Injured10
AccusedAxel Rudakubana
ChargesMurder (3 counts)
Attempted murder (10 counts)
Possession of a bladed article (1 count)

On 29 July 2024, a mass stabbing occurred at a dance studio in Southport, Merseyside, United Kingdom. Three children were killed, and ten other people – eight of whom were children – were injured. A 17-year-old male, Axel Rudakubana, was arrested at the scene, and has been charged with three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed weapon in a public place.

The attack took place at a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance workshop which was being held at the Hart Space, a community studio in the Meols Cop area of Southport. Twenty-five children were in attendance. The attacker stabbed a total of eleven children – three fatally – and two adults. All three fatalities were girls, two of whom died at the scene, while the third died in hospital the following day. Five of the eight injured children and both injured adults were in critical condition following the stabbing.

A motive for the attack has not been identified, although police stated they were not treating it as terror-related. The suspect has a Christian background.[1][2]

This attack, along with the dissemination of online misinformation over the identity of the suspect, sparked racially-fuelled riots in Southport, London, Hartlepool and Sunderland involving protesters – many of whom are suspected to be members of the English Defence League – and police forces.

Background

The Hart Space, where the attack took place, is a studio venue located on Hart Street in Meols Cop, Southport, about a mile east of the town centre. It hosts various yoga, dance, pregnancy and baby and toddler classes.[3][4] It is on the first floor of a building which it shares with an office on the ground floor.[5][6]

The workshop was organised by Leanne Lucas, a local yoga teacher.[7] It was advertised as a "yoga, dance and bracelet making workshop" themed around the music of Taylor Swift.[8][9] Lucas organised the event with co-organiser Heidi Barlow.[10] The workshop was aimed at children in Year 2 to Year 6 (ages 6–11), and was being held in the first full week of the summer holidays, scheduled for 29 July 2024 between 10 am and 12 pm.[8] The event was fully booked, with 25 children attending.[11]

Attack

At around 11:45 BST on Monday 29 July 2024, the attacker arrived at Hart Street by taxi and reportedly refused to pay the fare, before walking straight towards the Hart Space.[12][13] He entered the venue via the front door and began stabbing multiple people.[14]

Lucas and Barlow tried to shield the children from the attacker.[10] Lucas, who was critically injured in the attack, ushered some children out of the venue via a fire exit and Barlow, who received minor injuries, locked others in a toilet.[10] Jonathan Hayes, who was working in his office in the same building, ran into the studio after hearing screams. Hayes confronted the attacker and attempted to disarm him before being stabbed in the leg,[15] sustaining serious injuries and requiring major surgery.[16]

At 11:47, Merseyside Police received the first emergency call reporting multiple stabbings at the Hart Space and emergency services began rushing to scene.[17] North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) received their first call about the stabbings a minute later, at 11:48.[14] Joel Verite and his colleague, who were driving on Hart Street at the time of the attack,[18] came across an injured woman,[18][19] who alerted them to the attack before collapsing.[20] Verite took her phone to speak to police and ran towards the venue, where in the car park he discovered another woman in a car with four or five injured children in the back.[20]

Verite entered the building and encountered the attacker holding a knife on the staircase which leads up to the studio, who fled back into the room when challenged.[19] Verite smashed the front door in an attempt to prevent the attacker from leaving before the police arrived.[20] The first police officer on the scene waited for backup before entering the studio as he was armed only with a baton. A second police officer arrived armed with a taser and Verite and the two officers entered the studio, where the attacker was tasered and arrested.[21] The attacker's knife was seized and he was taken into custody.[22]

Emergency services quickly declared a major incident as armed response vehicles, thirteen ambulances, the fire service, and three air ambulances — one each from North West Air Ambulance, Midlands Air Ambulance, and Great North Air Ambulance[23][24][25] — were dispatched to the scene.[26] Specialist hazardous area response team (HART) and Medical Emergency Response Incident Team (MERIT) units also responded.[27][23] Merseyside Police imposed an Emergency Restriction of Flying to stop aircraft — including helicopters and drones — from flying in the area without permission.[28]

Victims

Two girls — Bebe King, 6 and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7 — died at the scene.[29] Eleven people, nine children and two adults,[30] were treated for injuries by the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS).[31] Six of the nine injured children and both of the injured adults were in a critical condition following the stabbings.[29] The two injured adults were Leanne Lucas, co-organiser of the yoga and dance workshop and Jonathan Hayes, who intervened in the attack.[16][32]

Casualties were taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, which declared a major incident, as well as Aintree University Hospital, Southport and Formby District General Hospital, Ormskirk General District Hospital and Royal Manchester Children's Hospital;[33] A third girl — Alica Dasilva Aguiar, 9 — died in hospital the day after the incident.[34] The three girls who were killed in the attack were named on the afternoon of 30 July.[35][36][36]

Accused

Axel Muganwa Rudakubana (born 7 August 2006)[37] was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.[38][39] Rudakubana was born in Cardiff, Wales. His parents, originally from Rwanda, moved to the Southport area in 2013; at the time of the attack, Rudakubana lived in Banks, a large village on the north-eastern outskirts of Southport.[40][41] In 2018, when he was 11 he was cast in a video advertising Children in Need 2018[42].

On 1 August, Rudakubana was charged with three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder, and one count of possession of a bladed article. As a minor at the time of the attack, he could not initially be named;[43][44] however reporting restrictions on his identity were lifted later that day by Liverpool Crown Court, citing concerns over the lack of confirmed identity fuelling misinformation, and over a fresh round of unrest when he turns 18 in six days time, meaning his identity would have become publicly available anyway.[45][46] Rudakubana was remanded in custody until a plea hearing on 25 October,[46] and has a provisional trial date set of 20 January 2025.[47]

Rudakubana has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, and before the stabbings, had reportedly been unwilling to leave the house and communicate with family for a period of time.[48]

Merseyside Police have not identified Rudakubana's motive, although they said on 29 July that they were not treating the incident as terror-related.[49]

Aftermath

Official responses

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as horrendous and shocking, and thanked emergency services for their swift response.[50] A similar remark was made by Leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak. Speaking in the House of Commons, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that she was concerned by the incident and described the emergency services' response as courageous.[51] Patrick Hurley, in whose constituency the incident occurred, stated that he was deeply concerned and hoped for the best possible outcomes to the casualties whilst as well as praising local organisations that "stepped up to the plate" and urging against any online speculation over the event.[52][53] Cooper additionally visited Southport the following morning to lay flowers and meet officials and community leaders.[54] Starmer also visited the same day and laid flowers at the scene. He was heckled by some members of the public.[55]

Condolences were sent by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales.[56][57] The President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa,[58] Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, and the Regional Government of Madeira, sent condolences as Aguiar's parents emigrated from Madeira to the UK.[59]

Taylor Swift, whose music the workshop was themed around, responded: "The horror of yesterday's attack in Southport is washing over me continuously [...] 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."[60] Swifties (fans of Swift) raised over £300,000 within three days for the victims.[61]

Public reaction, misinformation, and unrest

Further information: 2024 England riots

A vigil was held outside the Atkinson in Eastbank Square on the evening of 30 July, with thousands of people in attendance.[62] Flowers and handwritten notes were left there and near the scene of the attack.[63]

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, misinformation about the identity of the attacker began to spread widely on social media, including a false name.[64] False claims regarding the suspect's nationality, religion and migration status were shared by some far-right accounts.[65]

The same evening a large group of people gathered near a mosque on St Luke's Road, near Hart Street. They attacked the mosque with bricks, bottles, and rocks,[66] and set a police vehicle on fire. Merseyside Police believed the group to be supporters of the English Defence League.[67] Merseyside Police reported that 39 officers were injured; 27 were hospitalised and eight sustained serious injuries.[68] Further racially fuelled riots[47] were later seen in Manchester, London, Hartlepool and Aldershot.[69]

Ology Kids Casting, who had cast Rudakubana in the 2008 Children and Need video, had deleted all posts from their social media platforms about his acting career[42]. A spokesman for BBC Children in Need told MailOnline “Our deepest sympathies go out to everyone impacted by this shocking case, and we have removed the video from all of our platforms out of respect to them.”[42]

See also

References

  1. ^ https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/inside-religious-family-southport-suspect-33382071
  2. ^ https://www.trtworld.com/europe/uk-attack-suspect-not-a-muslim-or-asylum-seeker-as-claimed-by-far-right-18190606
  3. ^ Croft, Alex (30 July 2024). "Dance studio where kids knifed hidden behind alley 'you'd have to know is there'". The Mirror. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Home". The Hart Space. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  5. ^ "About The Space". The Hart Space. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Man who intervened in Southport attack 'saddened he couldn't to more'". BBC News. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Leanne Lucas: Yoga teacher stabbed in Southport protecting children, cousin says". BBC News. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  8. ^ a b Croft, Alex (30 July 2024). "Hero dance teacher who saved kids from knifeman gave up career for yoga business". The Mirror. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "Hero dance teachers locked children in toilet to save them from killer as they fight for life after Southport stabbing". LBC. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Southport stabbings - what we know so far about knife attack". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Southport stabbings - what we know so far about knife attack". BBC News. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  13. ^ Times Radio (29 July 2024). Southport stabbing: Man arrived in a taxi and refused to pay | Ben Ellery. Retrieved 1 August 2024 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ a b "What happened in Southport? How attack which killed two children at Taylor Swift-themed event unfolded". Sky News. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  15. ^ Stringer, Connor; Evans, Martin (29 July 2024). "Businessman who tried to disarm Southport attacker stabbed in leg". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  16. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :02 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ "Southport stabbings - what we know so far about knife attack". BBC News. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  18. ^ a b "'True hero' personal trainer rushed in to tackle Southport knifeman and rescue children". LBC. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  19. ^ a b Salisbury, Josh (30 July 2024). "Hero tackled Southport stabber after seeing children 'covered in blood'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  20. ^ a b c "Southport stabbings: Man describes coming face to face with knife attacker". Sky News. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  21. ^ Byrne, Paul; Thornton, Lucy; Bone, Hollie (30 July 2024). "'Hero' window cleaner ran to scene after hearing girls scream in dance class". The Mirror. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Southport: 'Major incident' after reports of stabbing and 'number of casualties'". Sky News. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  23. ^ a b North West Ambulance Service [@NWAmbulance] (29 July 2024). "North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) is responding to a major incident following a call at 11:48am to Hart Street in Southport following reports of multiple stabbings [...] We have dispatched 13 ambulances along with specialised resources of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), Air Ambulance and Merit Doctors to the scene. [...] So far, NWAS has treated eight patients with stab injuries who have been taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Aintree University Hospital and Southport and Formby hospital" (Tweet). Retrieved 29 July 2024 – via Twitter.
  24. ^ Midlands Air Ambulance Charity [@MAA_Charity] (30 July 2024). "Our advanced team of clinicians, alongside @GNairambulance, @NWAirAmbulance and other emergency services, responded swiftly to the scene. We are immensely proud of our crew and all the personnel who worked tirelessly under challenging circumstances to provide critical treatment on scene" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 August 2024 – via Twitter.
  25. ^ "Air ambulances land at scene". Sky News. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  26. ^ "Southport knife attack: Two children dead and nine injured at dance workshop". BBC News. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
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  28. ^ "Restrictions on drones and helicopters in Southport following incident". Merseyside Police. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  29. ^ a b "Two children killed, say police". BBC News. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  30. ^ Cobham, Tara (29 July 2024). "Southport stabbing latest: Children among eight injured in major incident as police arrest man". The Independent. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  31. ^ "Ambulance treated 11 casualties". BBC News. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024. Paramedics treated 11 casualties
  32. ^ "Leanne Lucas: Yoga teacher stabbed in Southport protecting children, cousin says". BBC News. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  33. ^ "Eight victims treated for stab injuries – ambulance service". BBC News. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024. The North West Ambulance Service says paramedics have treated eight patients with stab injuries. The victims have been taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Aintree University Hospital and Southport and Formby Hospital, it says in a statement.
  34. ^ Murray, Jessica; Al-Othman, Hannah; Halliday, Josh (30 July 2024). "Southport attack: third child dies and five in critical condition". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  35. ^ Martin, Amy-Clare (31 July 2024). "All the victims of Southport stabbing attack named as devastated families pay tribute". The Independent. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  36. ^ a b "Clashes in Southport after town mourns in vigil for victims of stabbing attack". BBC News. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  37. ^ "Southport latest: Murder suspect, 17, named as Axel Rudakubana in 'exceptional' decision". Sky News. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  38. ^ "Suspect in Southport stabbings named in court as restrictions lifted". BBC News. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  39. ^ Wright, George (31 July 2024). "Southport: 17-year-old charged with murder over attack". BBC News. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  40. ^ "Attacker arrested on suspicion of murder originally from Cardiff". BBC News. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024. [T]he 17-year-old [who] was arrested on suspicion of murder over the [...] was originally from Cardiff. He was living in Banks, near Southport.
  41. ^ "Suspect was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents". BBC News. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024. [T]he 17-year-old [...] was born in Cardiff and moved to the Southport area in 2013. His parents are from Rwanda [...]
  42. ^ a b c Stringer, Connor (2 August 2024). "Southport murder suspect appeared in BBC Children in Need video". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 3 August 2024 suggested (help)
  43. ^ "17-year-old boy charged with murders and attempted murders in Southport". Merseyside Police. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  44. ^ "Teenage suspect charged after three children killed in Southport knife rampage". The Independent. 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  45. ^ "Identity of Southport suspect revealed as he appears in court accused of murder". The Independent. 1 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  46. ^ a b "Southport stabbing latest: Suspect in Southport stabbings named in court as restrictions lifted". BBC News. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  47. ^ a b Landler, Mark (1 August 2024). "A Stabbing Attack, Viral Falsehoods and Fears of a Summer of Unrest in the U.K." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  48. ^ Sandford, Daniel; Sherlock, Gemma; Mullen, Tom (1 August 2024). "Teen, 17, accused of Southport murders named". BBC News. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  49. ^ "Police say attack 'not being treated as terror-related'". BBC News. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024. We can confirm that a 17-year-old male from Banks [...] was arrested [...] At this early stage, enquiries are ongoing to establish the motive [...] and we would urge people not to speculate while the investigation is ongoing. We can also confirm that the incident is not currently being treated as terror-related and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
  50. ^ "Southport incident 'horrendous and deeply shocking' – Starmer". BBC News. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024. I would like to thank the police and emergency services for their swift response.
  51. ^ "Home secretary Yvette Cooper on 'awful' Southport incident". Sky News. Retrieved 29 July 2024. I have been in contact with the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner and the Merseyside mayor to convey my support to the police and our thanks to the police and emergency services for their swift and courageous response.
  52. ^ "Southport MP 'deeply concerned' by stabbing reports". BBC News. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024. Hurley [...] says he's 'deeply concerned' by the reports of the stabbing in Southport. 'I am hoping for the best possible outcomes to the casualties affected'.
  53. ^ "Southport stabbing: Southport's new MP urges against speculation online". BBC News. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  54. ^ "Southport stabbing: Home Secretary lays flowers at scene". BBC News. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  55. ^ Stringer, Connor (30 July 2024). "'How many more children will die?': Starmer heckled on Southport visit". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  56. ^ "King sends 'heartfelt condolences' to victims' families". BBC News. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024. King Charles III says he and Queen Camilla '[...] send our most heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies'.
  57. ^ "William and Kate send 'love, thoughts and prayers' to Southport victims". BBC News. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024. The Prince and Princess of Wales have paid tribute to those affected by the attack in Southport, saying [...] 'We send our love, thoughts and prayers to all those involved'.
  58. ^ "Marcelo lamenta morte de menina portuguesa em ataque com faca no Reino Unido". Correio da Manhã (in Portuguese). 30 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  59. ^ Couzens, Gerard (30 July 2024). "Southport stabbing: Portuguese PM remembers Alice Aguiar". BBC News. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  60. ^ Stephens, Max (30 July 2024). "Southport attack latest: Girl, 9, becomes third child to die in stabbing". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  61. ^ "Swifties for Southport: Fans raise more than £100,000 for Southport victims". The Independent. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  62. ^ "Community bands together in the aftermath of attack". BBC News. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024. Thousands of people gathered at the vigil for the victims of the attack in Southport [...] [Some businesses ]said they were closing early just so their staff could get down to the square in front of the Atkinson.
  63. ^ "In pictures: Locals leave flowers and handwritten notes for victims". BBC News. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024. [L]ocals have been leaving flowers and handwritten notes near the scene of the attack.
  64. ^ Quinn, Ben (30 July 2024). "Misinformation about Southport attack suspect spreads on social media". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  65. ^ Gregory, Andy (31 July 2024). "How lies about Southport knife attack suspect led to riots and clashes with police". The Independent. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  66. ^ "Smoke canisters deployed". BBC News. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024. Hundreds of protesters gathered near a local mosque attacking the front of it, throwing bricks, bottles and rocks, many with hoods up and scarves hiding their faces.
  67. ^ Stephens, Max; Stringer, Connor; Johnston, Neil; Henshaw, Chelsie (30 July 2024). "Southport stabbing: Police van set on fire as clashes break out at Southport mosque". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  68. ^ "Officers suffered fractures, with one knocked unconscious - police". BBC News. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024. 53 police officers were injured last night, with 27 taken to hospital. Merseyside Police says eight sustained "serious injuries including fractures, lacerations, a suspected broken nose and concussion".
  69. ^ "More than 100 arrests as Southport protests spread". BBC News. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
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