Far-right protesters fueled by anger and fake news online threw bottles and rocks at officers and set fire to a police van on Tuesday outside a mosque in northwest England, near where three girls were stabbed to death in a day before.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the “streetwise” act and said the crowd misused what was a peaceful vigil attended by hundreds of people in Southport town center to mourn the dead and 10 injured, seven of whom were in a critical condition.
Police said the violent mob was believed to be supporters of the English Defense League, a far-right group, and the unrest was inspired by rumors about the identity of the teenage suspect, arrested on charges of murder and attempted murder.
“There has been a lot of speculation and conjecture about the status of a 17-year-old male who is currently in police custody and some individuals are using this to bring violence and disorder to our streets,” Merseyside Police's Assistant Chief Constable said. Alex Goss.
Police previously said the name of a suspect circulating on social media accounts was incorrect and the boy was born in Britain, contrary to online claims that he was an asylum seeker.
The three girls who were killed in a stabbing attack at an extracurricular dance class to the music of singer Taylor Swift were identified earlier. The police interrogated the 17-year-old suspect who was arrested after the attack in which 10 other individuals were injured.
Nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar died Tuesday from her injuries while Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6, died Monday, police said.
Eight children and two adults remain in hospital after the attack in Southport, north-west England. Both adults and five of the children are in critical condition.
American singer Taylor Swift wrote on Instagram that she was “beyond shocked” and was still experiencing the “horror” of the event.
“These were little kids in a dance class,” she wrote. “I find it very difficult to find the words to express my condolences to their families.”
People laid flowers in tribute near the scene, in the town near Liverpool.
Witnesses described the incident as a scene “from a horror movie” as bloodied children struggled to escape the attack just before midday on Monday. The suspect was arrested soon after. Police said he was born in the Welsh city of Cardiff and had lived for years in a village about 5 kilometers from Southport. He has not yet been charged.
Police said they are not treating Monday's attack as terrorism-related and are not looking for any other suspects.
“We believe the adults who were injured were trying to protect the children who were being attacked,” said Police Chief Serena Kennedy.
A group of fans of the singer Swift, in the United Kingdom, launched an online fundraiser to help the families of the victims. Within 24 hours, 128 thousand dollars were collected.
The attack is the latest shocking development in a country where a recent rise in knife crime has sparked anxiety. This has fueled calls for the government to do more to tackle violence from such weapons which are the most used in recorded UK murders.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced calls against him as he visited the crime scene and laid a wreath of flowers and a handwritten note that said: “Our hearts are broken, there are no words for such a deep loss. The thoughts of the nation are with you.”
“How many more children must be killed?” One person shouted as Prime Minister Starmer got into the car. “Our children are dead and you're leaving?”
Mr Starmer told reporters earlier that he was determined to crack down on significant knife attacks, but said this was not a day for politics.
The Prime Minister thanked the police, fire and ambulance crews who responded, saying he was “incredibly proud” of their response.
“There are children today who have been saved because of what you did yesterday,” he said.
The worst attack on children in Britain happened in 1996, when 43-year-old Thomas Hamilton shot dead 16 children and their teacher in a kindergarten in Dunblane, Scotland. The UK then banned private ownership of almost all guns.
Mass shootings and murders by gun are extremely rare in Britain. Knives were used in about 40% of murders from that year to March 2023.
