Princess Kate & Prince William React to Southport Dance Class Attack in New Statement

Princess Kate and Prince William released a joint statement regarding the fatal attack that took place on Monday, July 29, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England. The incident left three children dead, according to Merseyside Police, and several others were injured and hospitalized as a result.

“As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through,” William, 42, and Kate, 42, wrote in their statement. “We send our love, thoughts and prayers to all those involved in this horrid and heinous attack. Thank you also to the emergency responders who, despite being met with the most horrific scenes, demonstrated compassion and professionalism when your community needed you most.”

King Charles III also released a statement on behalf of himself and his wife, Queen Camilla, via social media, calling the incident “appalling” and “horrific.”

“My wife and I are profoundly shocked to hear of the utterly horrific incident,” the 75-year-old monarch wrote. “We send our most heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have so tragically lost their lives, and to all those affected by this truly appalling attack.”

The following day, Merseyside Police confirmed that the three children who were killed were aged 6, 7 and 9 years old.

“The 9-year-old girl died in hospital in the early hours of this morning, Tuesday, 30 July,” authorities wrote in their official statement. “We can confirm that the children who died yesterday were girls aged 6 and 7 years. Eight other children suffered stab wounds sustained during the attack, and five of them are in a critical condition. Two adults are also in a critical condition after being injured during the incident.”

A 17-year-old male was arrested at the crime scene, but additional details about the suspect and the motive are still unclear. According to authorities, the suspect walked into the dance and yoga class, armed with a knife, and attacked the entire group of children and adults.

The violent incident has sent shockwaves across Britain. Although there are strict gun ownership laws in the country, knife crime has been described as a growing national crisis.