England stabbing at children's class sees one 2 dead, 8 in critical condition in 'ferocious attack'

UPDATE: A mass stabbing left 2 children dead and 8 others in critical condition on Monday morning during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in a U.K. town as the police described the incident as a 'ferocious attack'

North West Ambulance Service responded to a residence on Hart Street in the town of Southport, a coastal municipality about 20 miles north of Liverpool on England's western edge.

The incident occurred sometime before 11:48 a.m., which was when the service got the call. Merseyside Police responded approximately two minutes after that, a spokesperson confirmed to the Liverpool ECHO.

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"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," the North West Ambulance Service wrote in a statement on X.

Alder Hey Children's Hospital Trust, which is located in Liverpool, declared a "major incident" as well in a statement to the ECHO as it described how overwhelmed its emergency room had become. A hospital spokesperson wrote, "The Trust is working with other emergency services to respond to this incident and our Emergency Department is currently extremely busy. We ask parents to only bring their children to the Emergency Department if it is urgent. All other appointments and services are running as normal."

The Merseyside Police spokesperson previously confirmed to the ECHO that "there were a number of reported casualties" as the spokesperson vowed that more details would "be confirmed when possible." The spokesperson added, "Please avoid the area while we deal with this incident."

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The ECHO later confirmed that the stabbing occurred during a Taylor Swift-themed dance party, with one man telling the publication that his daughter was supposed to go to the class that morning before changing her mind. Paddy Edrich, an ECHO reporter at the scene, said the class was for children between the ages of 3 and 12.

A suspect was taken into custody shortly after the police arrived, the spokesperson confirmed. The man was reportedly a 17-year-old from Banks, a village just 6 miles up the coast from Southport. The police confirmed to the ECHO that the incident is not being investigated as a terrorist attack and that they're not looking for other suspects.

A home in Banks, presumably the suspect's, was cordoned off hours after the harrowing incident, it was reported, as the police searched the property for evidence.

Reports indicated that residents were forced to lock themselves in their homes amid the violent incident, but few details exist about the stabbing. Eyewitnesses told the ECHO that there were dozens of police at the scene into the early hours of the afternoon.

The police confirmed to the publication that there was no longer a threat to the public. It wasn't immediately clear exactly how many were injured or if any died in the brutal attack. The attack was, however, being treated as a "critical" incident by the police, the ECHO reported.

Police helicopters were seen circling the area on Monday afternoon as shop owners told the ECHO that they had their employees barricade themselves inside with them to avoid the chaos playing out on the street.

Patrick Hurley, Southport's member of Parliament, said in a statement on X that he's "deeply concerned" by the incident. He added, "I'm hoping for the best possible outcomes to the casualties affected. My thoughts go out to all those affected, their loved ones and to the entire community."

U.K. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also released a statement about the incident on X, writing, "I am deeply concerned at the very serious incident in Southport. All my thoughts are with the families & loved ones of those affected. I have spoken to the Merseyside Police & Crime Commissioner to convey full support to the police & thanks to the emergency services responding."

Prime Minister Keir Starmer later posted his own statement on X, writing, "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."

One distraught woman recounted messages she received in a local WhatsApp group just after she heard the loud sirens, which was how she found out the stabbing was occurring. "It was about 20 past 12 I think and we heard loads of sirens and then there was a helicopter circling above. Then the messages started to go around the local WhatsApp groups, saying, 'Lock your windows. Lock your doors.' We were told a man was running around stabbing people," she told the ECHO.

"We are all absolutely terrified, panicking and sick with worry — everyone is trying to reach anyone they know in the area. I don't know how this can happen on a Monday lunchtime," she told the ECHO. She then recounted how she ran down the street, urging her neighbors to lock their doors and windows as she said one of her neighbors had "barricaded" herself inside her bedroom along with her children.

An air ambulance reportedly landed nearby amid the chaos to carry at least one of the wounded to a nearby trauma center, but the conditions of the victims remain unclear. A reporter at the scene who spoke with a local reported that the local had spoken with a man who allegedly knows one of the victims, who the woman said had been "stabbed twice." That remains unconfirmed as well.

Another witness told Ben Roberts-Haslam that he witnessed another man carrying "as many children as he could" away from the building in which the stabbing allegedly occurred. It wasn't immediately clear what their condition was.

Merseyside Police & Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell released a statement via X about the incident, writing, "Like everyone, I am deeply shocked and concerned about the major incident in #Southport this morning. An arrest has been made and there is no wider risk to the public. I would urge people to be careful about what they share online and not to speculate about this incident. Official updates will follow shortly."