Riots and tensions have flooded the streets of the United Kingdom after a July 29 stabbing spree claimed the lives of three young girls, ages six to nine, and injured at least ten more.
According to Fox News, around noon on Monday, a 17-year-old boy entered a local dance school— where students were attending a Taylor Swift inspired event — holding a kitchen knife. The boy, whose identity was kept from the public until recently, attacked students and teachers alike, killing young girls: Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar.
Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said, “We believe that the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who are being attacked.”
The teen was arrested and charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder less than a week before his 18th birthday, according to local officials.
In accordance to British law, the teen’s identity was kept from the public citing his age as a minor, but on Thursday, a judge ruled the suspect’s, Axel Rudakubana, name could be released, reports the Independent.
Before Rudakubana was publicly identified, misinformation about the alleged attacker’s name and ethnic origin circled British news and social media. According to AP News, several media outlets falsely named the suspect as “Ali Al-Shakati,” which only helped fuel ongoing tensions concerning immigration throughout the country.
Patrick Hurley, a British lawmaker, said “hundreds of people descend[ed] on the town...intent on causing trouble — either because they believe what they’ve written or because they are bad faith actors who wrote it in the first place, in the hope of causing community division.”
Several riots ignited by right-winged, anti-immigration protesters took over the streets of Southport, England, where the tragedy took place. Fox News footage shows the aftermath of the violent clash between protesters and police the day after the attack. The riots have resulted in at least 22 officers injured, reported Merseyside Police on X.
Sky News also reported at least 15 more protests have been advertised online since then, and even an 11-year-old was arrested after allegedly setting a police car on fire.
In response to the riots, newly elected U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violent protests and said he would “not allow understandable fear to curdle it into division and hate” in the nation, during a press conference. Starmer also called the stabbing spree “horrendous and deeply shocking.”
According to ABC News, Prince William and Princess Kate also said in a statement: “As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through. We send our love, thoughts and prayers to all those involved in this horrid and heinous attack.”
The accused Rudakubana will remain in a youth detention center until his scheduled trial begins in October, according to officials.