2024 Southport stabbing

2024 Southport stabbing
1km 0.6miles Attack site '"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000003-QINU`"'
Location	Hart Street, Southport, Merseyside, United Kingdom
Coordinates	53°38′32.5″N 2°59′7.3″W
Date	29 July 2024 (2024-07-29) c. 11:47 (BST (UTC+1))
Target	Children at a dance workshop
Attack type	Mass stabbing
Deaths	3
Injured	10
Motive	Unknown
Coroner	Julie Goulding
Accused	Axel Rudakubana
Charges	Murder (3 counts) Attempted murder (10 counts) Possession of a bladed article (1 count)

On 29 July 2024, a mass stabbing targeting children occurred at a dance studio in Southport, Merseyside, United Kingdom. Three children were killed. Ten other people were injured, some of them severely. Eight of those ten people were chldren. A 17-year-old British citizen born in Cardiff to parents from Rwanda was arrested at the scene. The person has been charged with three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder, and possession of a bladed article. On 23 January 2025 the attacker was sentenced to life in prison, and will have to serve at least 52 years.

The attack took place at a Taylor Swift–themed yoga and dance workshop held at the Hart Space. The Hart Space is a community studio in the Meols Cop area of Southport. 26 children were present at the workshop. The attacker stabbed eleven children and two adults. Two girls died at the scene. Six of the injured children and both adults were in critical condition when taken to hospital, and a third girl died the following day.

In the days after the attack, riots took place. Far-right protesters clashed with police in Southport. They had false information about the attacker's identity. They damaged a mosque. Over the next few days, protests and riots spread nationwide.

So far, no motive for the attack has been given. The police said that they were not treating the incident as terrorism. On 1 August, Liverpool Crown Court disclosed Rudakubana's identity – despite him still being a minor at that point – to counter speculation and misinformation.