Europe, UK (Commonwealth Union) – The families of the schoolgirls who lost their lives in the Southport stabbing have shared heartfelt tributes. Merseyside Police have confirmed that the three girls who perished in the tragic incident on Hart Street yesterday are Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Aguiar, nine.
The families of Bebe and Alice sent their tributes. The statement by the family of Bebe said “No words can describe the devastation that has hit our family as try to deal with the loss of our little girl Bebe.”
The stabbing had occurred when a masked 17-year-old had entered the premises of a Taylor Swift themed yoga dance workshop and started stabbing the children.
A courageous dance teacher sustained knife wounds to her back, arms, and neck as she valiantly shielded her students from an assailant. Leanne Lucas, who had organized and was leading the class in Southport, Merseyside, on Monday, July 29, is currently battling for her life in the hospital.
Police have apprehended a 17-year-old male on charges of murder and attempted murder. Authorities have obtained an extension to continue questioning the suspect. Due to legal restrictions, the teenager’s identity has not been disclosed, and he is still in custody. This had led to further outrage on the devastated community with a variety of suspicions. Much of the resident’s anger and frustration had led to confrontations with the police resulting in an extremely hostile atmosphere.
The incident has led much of the public to ask themselves how some completely innocent little girls could end up meeting such a tragedy. Incidents of mass shooting often draw attention to gun control, however the Southport tragedy and other knife attacks have triggered the public to demand answers to how these tragic incidents could be prevented and do we need better treatment or counseling to spot the possibility of such incidents occurring.
As no one would have possible imagined such a tragic incident occurring in a children’s dance class security measures may not have been in place, however event organizers may need to anticipate such incidents where groups of people are gathering and take some sort of security measures.