| 2024 Southport stabbing | |
|---|---|
| Location | Hart Street, Southport, Merseyside, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 53°38′32.5″N 2°59′7.3″W / 53.642361°N 2.985361°W |
| Date | 29 July 2024 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 |
|
On 29 July 2024, a mass stabbing targeting children occurred at a dance studio in Southport, Merseyside, United Kingdom. Three children were killed, and ten other people – eight of whom were children – were injured. Axel Rudakubana, a 17-year-old British citizen born in Cardiff to parents from Rwanda, was arrested at the scene and has been charged with three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder, and possession of a bladed article.
The attack took place at a Taylor Swift–themed yoga and dance workshop attended by twenty-five children at the Hart Space, a community studio in the Meols Cop area of Southport. Two girls died at the scene, six injured children and two adults were taken to hospital in a critical condition, and a third girl died the following day.
On 30 July, far-right protesters clashed with police in Southport and damaged a mosque after misinformation about the attacker's identity was spread online. Over the next few days, protests and riots spread nationwide.
A motive for the attack has not been identified, although Merseyside Police stated they were not treating it as terror-related. On 1 August, Liverpool Crown Court disclosed Rudakubana's identity – despite his still being a minor at that point – to counter speculation and misinformation.