UPDATE: The Southport stabbing that rocked a U.K. community has now left 2 dead and 11 injured with 8 in critical condition, including children
The deadly stabbing that left two dead , including children, and at least eight others critically injured in a U.K. town that took place at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party has been considered a "mass casualty" event.
The class, which was reportedly tailored to children between the ages of 3 and 12, was themed after the American pop superstar, who's currently embarking on the European leg of The Eras Tour and is scheduled to return to the U.K. for five more shows at London's Wembley Stadium in a couple of weeks before returning to North America for the second U.S. leg.
Chaos erupted in Southport, a small town just 20 miles north of Liverpool, England, late Monday morning when a man wearing a "black hood" allegedly walked into the dance party and stabbed at least eight individuals, if not more.
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The Merseyside police confirmed that the stabbing took place at The Hart Space, located on Hart Street in the coastal town on England's western edge. There were as many as 25 children there, it was reported, and witnesses described the horrific scene of children racing out of the building, covered in blood.
A staff member at The Hart Space, which offers clubs for kids during holidays, including dance and craft classes, said she spoke to a witness who thought a couple of the kids had been hit by a car, as there was so much blood on the hood of the vehicle and on them, but it turned out, they had run out onto the street and collapsed.
The small building only has one door, it was reported, which was kept unlocked and open, as having it closed would have posed a fire hazard, the staff member said. She reportedly wasn't at the dance class when the stabbing occurred and said she didn't know what the status of the other teachers was as of Monday afternoon.
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The stabbing occurred sometime before 11:48 a.m., when the North West Ambulance Service first responded to the scene. The service wrote in a statement on X, "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." Both children and adults were among those injured.
The Alder Hey Children's Hospital Trust, which is located in Liverpool, subsequently declared a "major incident," telling the Liverpool ECHO that it's working with other emergency services in the area to provide treatment to the patients but that it's emergency department was "extremely busy" and a bit overwhelmed.
"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 statement said.
Merseyside Police responded just two minutes after the North West Ambulance Service, a spokesperson told the ECHO. That spokesperson previously confirmed to the publication that "there were a number of reported casualties" at The Hart Space as they vowed to provide more details "when possible."
The spokesperson urged residents and the public to "please avoid the area" while the investigation is underway, noting that there was no longer a threat to the public.
The hooded suspect was reportedly taken into custody shortly after the police arrived at the scene, the spokesperson confirmed, but no further information about him was given. He reportedly had a knife that was seized by the police, and he was taken to a police station for booking.
Residents were reportedly asked to lock their doors and windows amid the violent incident as the sirens from police vehicles and ambulances and the whir of police and medical helicopters could be heard racing into town. Witnesses told ECHO that there were dozens of police vehicles at the scene by the early hours of the afternoon.
The employees of local shops also barricaded themselves inside along with their employees, it was reported, as the incident unfolded, hoping to avoid the chaos on the streets outside.
Southport's Member of Parliament Patrick Hurley wrote in a statement on X that he's "deeply concerned" about the incident, adding, "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 continued. 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.
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.
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 on 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."
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