The three children killed in a knife attack at a dance class in Southport have been named as Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine.
Eleven children and two adults were stabbed in what police described as a “ferocious attack” in a studio on Hart Street on Monday morning during a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class for children.
Five children and two adults remain in a critical condition in hospital.
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 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. Love from your Hero Daddy and Mummy.”
A 17-year-old boy, from the Lancashire village of Banks but born in Cardiff, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, with police saying the motive remains unclear.
The suspect, who police said was armed with a knife, was being questioned by police on Tuesday. The force is not treating the incident as terrorism-related.
The prime minister, Keir Starmer, visited Southport on Tuesday afternoon to lay flowers at the scene and pay his respects. The visit, which lasted about two minutes, saw hostile shouts from some members of the public.
One person shouted: “How many more, Starmer? When are you going to do something?”
Speaking to reporters, the prime minister said he came to pay his respects “to the victims and families who are going through raw pain and grief that most of us can’t imagine – I can’t imagine, as a dad myself”.
He said he had received a briefing about the ongoing investigation and wanted to thank emergency services for their efforts – “to say a personal thank you to them and to shake their hand, and to say that as prime minister on behalf of the country, we are grateful for what they did”.
Shortly after Starmer had left, a team of paramedics, many in tears, arrived to lay flowers. They were applauded as they left their tributes at the scene, some holding on to each other for support.
The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, visited the scene earlier in the day.
Earlier in the day, Taylor Swift spoke out about the attack, saying she was “completely in shock”. The US singer said in a post on Instagram: “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.”
The Southport MP, Patrick Hurley said it was a “tragic and uniquely horrific event”. A vigil was planned near the scene of the attack on Tuesday evening.
“It’s almost beyond comprehension, what happened yesterday,” he told BBC Radio 4. “The town is waking up this morning really in shock, and in grief. There are barely any adequate words to express what happened and how we’re all feeling.”
The Southport MP praised the response of local community and church groups in Southport for coming together to support those affected.
“This is a lovely, quite quiet and sleepy town on the coast. This is a traditional seaside resort and this is not the sort of thing anyone is remotely prepared for, but the response has been fantastic,” he said.
Hurley urged people to avoid speculation on social media that could “inflame tensions” in the area. “The town doesn’t want that. The town is in mourning, the town is in shock, and we need to make sure that what is online is reflective of the reality on the ground,” he said.
Children of primary school age – the same age as many of the victims – were among those leaving flowers, teddy bears and other tributes near the scene on Tuesday.
One message reads: “For the lost angels. You will never be forgotten. Too beautiful for this world. In the arms of our lord, you are now safe. Keep dancing. Shine bright. We are Southport, we stand together.”
Local residents described scenes of panic and terror in the immediate aftermath of the attack, as parents frantically tried to find their children, many of whom were being treated for their injuries in the street.
Colin Parry, the owner of Masters Vehicle Body Repairs, about 50 metres from the dance studio, said he had a heated exchange with a person he believed to be the attacker moments before the stabbings took place.
“He came down our driveway in a taxi and didn’t pay for the taxi, so I confronted him at that point. He was quite aggressive, he said: ‘What are you gonna do about it?’” he said.
Parry added that a member of staff then saw “about 10 kids go running past him, all bleeding, and one of them collapsed on the floor”.
ITV News has published footage of a masked individual pacing in front of a house they say was later raided by police in Banks, a village about 5 miles from the scene of the attack.
An individual wearing a green hoodie and a face mask can be seen walking back and forth outside the house, with footage later showing several police cars and a group of officers, including some who are armed, appearing at the same house.
