A 17-year-old has been charged with the murder of three young girls during a dance class attack in Southport, United Kingdom.
The victims, Bebe King, aged six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, were killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed event at the Hart Space centre on Monday.
The teenager, whose name cannot be released due to his age, is also facing 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article.
The charges were announced by Merseyside Police just after midnight. Commissioner Mohammed Umar Abba stated, “The Osun State Police Command is using this medium to update the members of the public, especially the good people of Osun State that the arrested suspect, one Olabode Owoeye, a.k.a. Bode Itaapa has been charged to court at the Federal High Court, Abuja, with charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/323/2024 on five count charges.”
Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Ursula Doyle emphasized the importance of a fair trial, stating, “We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary, or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings. Our thoughts remain with the families of all of those affected by these harrowing events.”
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy described the attack as a “ferocious” incident, saying, “When officers arrived, they found that multiple people, many of whom were children, had been subjected to a ferocious attack and had suffered serious injuries.”
Police believe the suspect entered the building armed with a knife and attacked those inside. Two adults were critically injured while trying to protect the children.
In a tribute, Bebe’s family said, “No words can describe the devastation that has hit our family as we try to deal with the loss of our little girl Bebe.” Alice’s family added, “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. Love from Your Hero Daddy and Mummy.”
The attack has deeply shocked Southport. Following the incident, protests in central London led to over 100 arrests for violent disorder and other offenses. In Southport, violence erupted during a protest, including attacks on a mosque and the setting of a police vehicle on fire. The violence is believed to be linked to false social media claims about the attack.
Elsie’s mother, Jenni Stancombe, urged for peace, saying, “This is the only thing that I will write, but please stop the violence in Southport tonight. The police have been nothing but heroic these last 24 hours and we don’t need this.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will meet with senior policing leaders to discuss the incidents.
His office stated, “He will say that the shocking events in Southport this week serve as a reminder of the bravery of our emergency service workers and the vitally important work they do to keep the public safe. While the right to peaceful protest must be protected at all costs, he will be clear that criminals who exploit that right in order to sow hatred and carry out violent acts will face the full force of the law.”
