The United Kingdom was left shaken after three children were stabbed to death and eight others were injured in a knife attack in Southport, in one of the worst assaults against children in the country in decades.

The attack took place at a Taylor Swift themed event at a dance school in the seaside town in northwest England, sparking disbelief over why would anyone target children having fun during the summer holiday.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the “whole country” was deeply shocked by the “truly awful” attack, while King Charles III said he was “profoundly shocked” by the “utterly horrific incident.”

Here is what we know about the attack.

What happened?

Police said Monday two girls, aged 6 and 7, were killed and six of the nine that were injured were in critical condition. Officers said the following day that another child, a 9-year-old girl, had died as a result of her injuries.

Two adults were also critically injured, police said, adding that they suffered their injures because they “were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked.”

Merseyside Police said the attack took place at a Taylor Swift event at a dance school in Southport on Monday morning, and the force said it received a call for help just before midday. Emergency services, including 13 ambulances and other specialized resources, were sent to the scene and a “major incident” was declared.

Who are the victims?

Police named the girls who died in the attack as Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Bebe King, 6, and 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe.

Photographs of the three victims that were shared by their families show Alice wearing a princess-like white dress, while Elsie is pictured smiling into the camera in what appears to be a school uniform. Bebe is shown sporting two ponytails, looking delighted while pointing to her t-shirt that shows the picture of Elphaba and Galinda, the two witches from the “Wicked” musical.

Police also shared a tribute from the family of Bebe King who said: “No words can describe the devastation that has hit our family as try to deal with the loss of our little girl Bebe.”

The parents of Dasilver Aguiar called the nine-year-old “our princess” and said: “Keep smiling and dancing like you love to do our Princess, like we said before to you, you’re always our princess and no one would change that.”

Suspect arrested – but no motive known yet

The police said a 17-year-old minor was arrested at the scene on “suspicion of murder and attempted murder.” He was taken to the police station and was being interviewed on Tuesday morning, the police said.

Merseyside Police’s Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said the suspect was from Banks in Lancashire and was originally from Cardiff in Wales.

She said the suspect was armed with a knife when he walked into the school in Southport, but give no other details on him or his apparent motive, other than saying the attack was not being treated as terror-related.

Worst mass stabbing attack against kids

The incident on Monday is the worst mass stabbing attack targeting children in the UK in decades – and possibly ever. While knife crime has risen across the country over the past decade – with a slight dip during the pandemic years – mass stabbing incidents are extremely rare.

The number of knife crimes in England rose to 48,341 in the year to April 2024, from 27,667 in the year to April 2014, according for the Office for National Statistics. More than a quarter of the incidents took place in London.

But children have been targeted in the UK in other types of attacks. Several children, including an 8-year old girl were killed in a terror attack at the concert of pop singer Ariana Grande in Manchester in May 2017.

And 16 children aged between 5 and 6 were murdered in a school shooting in the Scottish town of Dunblane in 1996. The massacre stunned the country and led to a ban on the private ownership of all handguns in mainland Britain.

What has been the reaction?

Many in the area and across the country were left in disbelief after learning about what happened. Southport is a small seaside resort and a popular summer destination for families.

Starmer and other officials visited the site of the attack on Tuesday, paying tributes to the victims and thanking emergency responders who attended the scene.

Starmer laid a wreath of cream and yellow-colored flowers at the scene, alongside floral tributes left there by the local community.

Taylor Swift, whose music was the theme of the dance class that was targeted by the attack, said Tuesday she was “completely in shock.”

“The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock. The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families, and first responders. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families,” Swift wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.