All Children Injured in Mass Stabbing at Taylor Swift Themed-Event Released from Hospital
The July 29 stabbing in Southport, England, claimed the lives of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, and left several others wounded
PETER POWELL/AFP via Getty
Tributes left for the victims of the July 29 stabbing in Southport, England.All of the children who were wounded in the July 29 deadly stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance class in Southport, England, have been released from the hospital, authorities said.
In a press release obtained by PEOPLE, Merseyside police confirmed that the last injured girl, who was being treated at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, was released from the hospital on Thursday, Aug. 8. She is expected to continue her recovery at home, police said.
Three girls died following the attack, which authorities allege was carried out by a boy, then 17, who walked into a dance school on Hart Street and began stabbing those inside. The fatal victims have since been identified by police as Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9.
Courtesy of Merseyside Police
From left: Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice Dasilva Aguiar.Related: 'Always Our Princess:' Child Victims of Southport Stabbing at Taylor Swift-Themed Event Identified
Police previously said eight children and two adults were left injured. The current status of the adults, who were last reported to be in critical condition, is unclear.
One of the adults was identified as yoga teacher Leanne Lucas who organized the dance and yoga class, according to the BBC, The Times, and The Guardian.
An online flyer shows the event was a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance class at The Hart Space, which was scheduled to take place between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. that morning.
Enlighten with Leanne/Facebook
An online flyer of the event."We believe that the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked," Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said at a press conference after the stabbing.
"This incident is not currently being treated as terror-related and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with it," police previously said.
One day after the stabbing, more than 50 police officers in Southport, England, were injured when a riot broke out during a vigil for the victims, according to police.
A large group believed to be supporters of the English Defence League, a far-right organization, destroyed garden walls and used those bricks to throw at officers and a local Mosque, police said at the time. According to police, the offenders also destroyed a convenience store and set fire to cars and trash cans.
The New York Times reported that disinformation about the suspect’s identity – which was not released at the time — was amplified online by far-right accounts. The violence led to the arrests of four unidentified men between the ages of 31 and 39, police said.
On Aug. 1, Merseyside police announced that the teenage suspect had been charged with killing the three girls, as well as 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article, per a news release shared at the time.
A reporting restriction on the suspect's name was waived in court that day, and the teenager was identified as Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, according to BBC News, The Guardian and The Telegraph. The boy, of Banks in Lancashire, reportedly turned 18 on Aug. 7. It’s unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
A plea and trial preparation hearing has been set for Oct. 25, according to BBC News. A provisional trial date has been scheduled for Jan. 20, 2025, The Guardian reported. Authorities have not discussed a motive for the attack.
Following the stabbing, Swift shared a message on her Instagram Stories, writing in part, “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."
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