Taylor Swift has issued an emotional statement after two children were killed and nine injured, six critically, at a yoga and dance workshop inspired by her music in Southport, England.
Two adults are also in critical condition after they were attacked while trying to protect the children, and a 17-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Posting to her Instagram story on Tuesday morning, Taylor wrote: “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.”
Social media posts advertising the Taylor-inspired event have since resurfaced, with children aged between six and 11 invited to the two-hour workshop during the summer break.
“Does your daughter love Taylor Swift?” a Facebook post shared by one of the organizers asked. “Book a place for a dance workshop, yoga workshop and bracelet making.”
Gregor Fischer / Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Police have said that the motivation for the attack is “unclear,” but it is not being treated as terror-related.
Per BBC News, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said in a news conference that the officers who responded to the call were left “shocked” by the “ferocious attack.”
“It is understood that the children were attending a Taylor Swift event at a dance school when the offender armed with a knife walked into the premises and started to attack the children,” she added. “We believe that the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked.”
Anadolu / Anadolu via Getty Images
Speaking to BBC Radio 5, witness Colin Parry detailed seeing a builder desperately try to lead some of the children away from the scene, with neighbors also helping to take “about 10 girls to safety.”
“The community was coming together; everyone was trying to help, to save the young kids,” he said.
After the news broke on Monday, King Charles III said in a statement that he and his wife, Queen Camilla, were “profoundly shocked to hear of the utterly horrific incident in Southport today.”
“We send our most heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have so tragically lost their lives, and to all those affected by this truly appalling attack,” the statement continued.
Christopher Furlong / Getty Images
Source Agencies
