MOURNERS gathered at a vigil to pay tribute to the three girls killed in the Southport stabbing attack.
Hundreds of people gathered in solidarity outside the Aktinson art gallery in Merseyside to pay their respects following the knife attack yesterday.
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Large crowds gathered for a minute’s silence to pay tribute to six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar.
Some lit candles while others laid flowers and reflected on yesterday’s tragedy.
Sefton Mayor June Burns said at the vigil that the scale of the tragedy “hit her” when she placed flowers at the scene thinking about the children involved in a Taylor Swift dance class.
“It really gets you, you can’t help but cry because of the wave of sadness.”
“I hope all of you here find some comfort from someone here. Let your families grieve the way they want,” she added.
The ten-minute vigil, held in the center of Southport, ended with a round of applause.
Alice, Bebe and Elsie were at a Taylor Swift-themed “yoga and dance” holiday club when the chaos unfolded.
The crowded kids’ club quickly became something “like a Horror movie,” witnesses of the deadly stabbings said.
A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, remains in custody charged with murder and attempted murder following the incident at the dance studio in Hart Street.
Merseyside Police said the motive was still unclear and said the shocking scenes were not suspected to be linked to terrorism.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the House of Commons that the whole house and country are united in shock and sadness at the terrible events.
She said she met with first responders who responded with heroism and professionalism.
Cooper said he was told nothing can prepare him for an attack on young children.
Bebe and Elsie, aged six and seven, were identified as the first victims of the attack just before midday.
Paying tribute to Bebe, her devastated family said: “There are no words that can describe the devastation that has hit our family as we try to cope with the loss of our little girl Bebe.”
Heartbroken friends and family paid tribute to Alice, saying she was killed by a “despicable human being”.
Headteacher Jinnie Payne said: “It is with great sadness that we hear the tragic news about the three children who died following yesterday’s atrocity, including Alice Da Silva Aguiar, a Year 4 student at Churchtown, and Bebe King, a former student .
“Alice was the happiest soul, a true ray of sunshine. She was known and loved by everyone in our school community of 700 children, a testament to her unique ability to connect with others.
“Bebe was a cheerful girl whose kindness radiated throughout the Churchtown community. During her time at school, Bebe’s caring nature and love of learning shined through in everything she did.”
Mrs Payne added that “several” other Churchtown children were involved in the attack, as were classmates.
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Teacher Leanne Lucas, 35, is fighting for her life in hospital after “courageously trying to protect” children at Hart Space Studios.
Her colleague Heidi, also 35, escaped unharmed after heroically locking some children inside a bathroom to keep them safe.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Hayes, 63, ran into the dance studio and tried to defend himself from the attacker moments after hearing screams coming from his nearby office and was stabbed in the leg.
Video obtained by ITV shows an individual wearing a green hoodie and face mask pacing back and forth outside the front door.
Doorbell footage shows several police cars and a group of officers, including some armed, showing up at the same house.
A member of the Hart Space team, who wished to remain anonymous, said he heard the suspect was wearing a “black hood” when he allegedly stabbed several children.
Residents said the suspect had gotten out of a taxi minutes before noon before launching his attack.
He accessed Hart Space Studios because a door was left open in sweltering heat.
Police said that while the motive for the attack was unclear, it was not believed to be related to terrorism.
Taylor Swift says she is “completely in shock” after the “horror” of the knife attack.
Prime Minister pays tribute
Sir Keir Starmer this afternoon shook hands with the emergency services after saying he wanted to thank them personally for their efforts yesterday.
The Prime Minister spoke to the group while laying floral tributes near the site, which claimed the lives of three innocent girls.
Sir Keir said: “I know you would face any situation that was put in front of you, you do it every day.
“But there’s no way to pretend that what you guys dealt with yesterday was ordinary or just a normal response. It was very, very difficult. I just wanted to personally thank each and every one of you, so I wanted to shake hands with each of you.” for what you did yesterday.
“I’m incredibly proud of what you did.
“I am surprised, but not surprised, that you are here today, carrying out your duties.
“I really want you to focus on the fact that there are children alive today because of what you did yesterday. That’s amazing. It’s what you do every day, but it’s the most difficult of circumstances.
“I don’t want you to think for a minute that the rest of the country didn’t see this.”
Speaking to the press during his visit to Southport, Sir Keir said: “I have come here to pay my respects to the victims and the families who are going through pain and suffering that most of us cannot imagine – I cannot imagine, as I myself am a father.
“To obtain information from the chief of police and the emergency services about the ongoing investigation, but also, and more importantly, to have the opportunity to tell those who responded from the emergency services yesterday, to say a personal thank you and to shake the your side, and say that, as Prime Minister, on behalf of the country, we are grateful for what you did.
“They, of course, say they will respond, they are professionals, to anything, but there is no way to pretend that what they had to respond to yesterday was common.
“It was very, very difficult. They were absolutely professional. And it was important for me to come and say simple words – thank you.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
