'A scene from a horror movie': At least 9 injured and 2 children killed in knife attack at Southport holiday club

La police a arrêté un adolescent de 17 ans et a indiqué écarter à ce stade un mobile terroriste. MAXPPP – James Speakman

At least nine people, including children, were seriously injured after a knife attack at a holiday club on Monday, July 29, 2024, in Southport, United Kingdom. The suspected individual, aged 17, was arrested.

A children's activity turns into carnage: two children died and eleven people, including nine children, were injured on Monday during a “knife attack” at a dance school in the northwest of England.

Police have declared a "major incident" in Southport after reports of a stabbing and a "number of reported casualties"

A knife has been seized and a man has been detained, according to Merseyside Police.

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— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 29, 2024

17-year-old arrested

The police arrested a 17-year-old boy and said they ruled out a terrorist motive at this stage, believing that the motivations of the alleged attacker remained "uncertain" at this point.

The attack occurred shortly before midday (11:00 GMT) on Monday in the small coastal town of Southport, about twenty kilometers north of Liverpool.

"The children were attending an event on the theme of (American singer) Taylor Swift at a dance school when the assailant, armed with ;#39;a knife, entered the building and began attacking the children inside", detailed Merseyside Police chief Serena Kennedy , during a press conference at the end of the day.

Referring to a "ferocious attack", she recounted the heavy toll: two children killed, nine others injured, six of whom were in a critical condition "critical" and two adults also injured and in serious condition, probably while trying to "protect" the children. "All the injured suffered stab wounds", she added.

Horrendous and deeply shocking news emerging from Southport. My thoughts are with all those affected.

I would like to thank the police and emergency services for their swift response.

I am being kept updated as the situation develops.

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 29, 2024

"I know the whole country is deeply shocked" reacted Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "Our thoughts are with the victims and families. It is impossible to imagine their grief, he said in a video message.

Dave Kitchin, the local emergency services manager, described at a press conference the "devastating scene" seen by emergency services arriving at the scene.

This attack "will leave a lasting impression on our community,", he added.

Shortly after the attack, police arrested a man and said they had seized a knife. A little later, she specified that the suspect was "17-year-old man", currently in custody.

The emergency services indicated that they had treated and transported several injured people to hospitals, including one for children. A large police force was deployed on the scene, noted an AFP journalist.

"Horrible"

Several witnesses described the "screams" of women rushing to the scene after hearing of the attack. Bare Varathan, a local shopkeeper, told PA that he saw "seven to 10 children" outside the building, “wounded and bleeding”.

Colin Parry, who also runs a business on the street where the attack occurred, described a scene “like something out of a horror movie”, adding that he saw mothers running screaming towards the scene the attack.

One man, who has been helping to direct traffic next to the scene, told the Echo: “I saw a man from the ARV come out the cordon and he was white as a sheet. He just shook his head and I thought he was going to cry.” pic.twitter.com/Usj0rPh6h0

— Ben Roberts-Haslam (@benhaslm) July 29, 2024

“All our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected,”, she said, speaking in the House of Commons before the death toll was known.

The United Kingdom, where the carrying of firearms is strictly restricted, is experiencing a surge in knife violence (attacks against people, burglaries, etc.), which often involve young people.

They increased by 7%, to nearly 50,000 last year, compared to 2022, and have almost doubled in ten years, according to the National Statistics Office.