2024 Southport stabbing
On 29 July 2024, a mass stabbing targeting children occurred at a dance studio in Southport, Merseyside, United Kingdom. Three children were killed. Ten other people were injured, some of them severely Eight of these ten people were chldren. A 17-year-old British citizen born in Cardiff to parents from Rwanda, was arrested at the scene. The person has been charged with three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder, and possession of a bladed article.
| 2024 Southport stabbing | |
|---|---|
| Location | Hart Street, Southport, Merseyside, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | Template:Wikidatacoord |
| Date | 29 July 2024 c. 11:47 (BST (UTC+1)) |
| Target | Children at a dance workshop |
Attack type | Mass stabbing |
| Deaths | 3 |
Injured | 10 |
| Motive | Unknown |
| Coroner | Julie Goulding |
| Accused | Axel Rudakubana |
| Charges |
|
The attack took place at a Taylor Swift–themed yoga and dance workshop held at the Hart Space. The Heart Space is a community studio in the Meols Cop area of Southport. Twenty-five children were present at the workshop. The attacker stabbed eleven children and two adults. Two girls died at the scene. Six of the injured children and both adults were in critical condition when taken to hospital, and a third girl died the following day.
On 30 July, far-right protesters clashed with police in Southport. They had false informatioon about the attackers identity. They damaged a mosque. Over the next few days, protests and riots spread nationwide.
So far, no motive for the attack has been given. The police said that they were not treating the incident as terrorism. On 1 August, Liverpool Crown Court disclosed Rudakubana's identity – despite his still being a minor at that point – to counter speculation and misinformation.