LONDON (AP) 害羞草研究所� A 9-year old girl wounded in a stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class in northwestern England died Tuesday, bringing the death toll to three, as police questioned a 17-year-old suspect arrested minutes after the rampage.

Merseyside Police said the other fatalities were girls aged 6 and 7.

Eight children and two adults remain hospitalized after the attack in Southport. Both adults and five of the children are in critical condition.

Swift said she was 害羞草研究所渃ompletely in shock害羞草研究所� and still taking in 害羞草研究所渢he horror害羞草研究所� of the event.

害羞草研究所淭hese were just little kids at a dance class,害羞草研究所� she wrote on Instagram. 害羞草研究所淚 am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.害羞草研究所�

A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

Local people left flowers and stuffed animals in tribute at a police cordon on the street lined with brick houses in the seaside resort near Liverpool 害羞草研究所� nicknamed 害羞草研究所渟unny Southport害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� whose beach and pier attract vacationers from across northwest England.

Witnesses described scenes 害羞草研究所渇rom a horror movie害羞草研究所� as bloodied children ran from the attack just before noon on Monday. The suspect was arrested soon after on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Police said he was born in Cardiff, Wales, and had lived for years in a village about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Southport. He has not yet been charged.

Police said detectives are not treating Monday害羞草研究所檚 attack as terror-related and they are not looking for any other suspects.

害羞草研究所淲e believe the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked,害羞草研究所� Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said.

It is the latest shocking attack in a country where has stoked anxieties and led to calls for the government to do more to clamp down on bladed weapons.

Witnesses described hearing screams and seeing children covered in blood emerging from the Hart Space, a community center that hosts everything from pregnancy workshops and meditation sessions to women害羞草研究所檚 boot camps.

The attack happened during a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance workshop for children aged about 6 to 11.

害羞草研究所淭hey were in the road, running from the nursery,害羞草研究所� said Bare Varathan, who owns a shop nearby. 害羞草研究所淭hey had been stabbed, here, here, here, everywhere,害羞草研究所� he said, indicating the neck, back and chest.

called the attack 害羞草研究所渉orrendous and deeply shocking.害羞草研究所� King Charles III sent his 害羞草研究所渃ondolences, prayers and deepest sympathies害羞草研究所� to those affected by the 害羞草研究所渦tterly horrific incident.害羞草研究所�

Prince William and his wife Catherine said that 害羞草研究所渁s parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through.害羞草研究所�

Colin Parry, who owns a nearby auto body shop, told The Guardian that the suspect arrived by taxi.

害羞草研究所淗e came down our driveway in a taxi and didn害羞草研究所檛 pay for the taxi, so I confronted him at that point,害羞草研究所� Parry was quoted as saying. 害羞草研究所淗e was quite aggressive, he said, 害羞草研究所榃hat are you gonna do about it?害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Parry said most of the victims appeared to be young girls.

害羞草研究所淭he mothers are coming here now and screaming,害羞草研究所� Parry said. 害羞草研究所淚t is like a scene from a horror movie. 害羞草研究所� It害羞草研究所檚 like something from America, not like sunny Southport.害羞草研究所�

Britain害羞草研究所檚 worst attack on children occurred in 1996, when 43-year-old Thomas Hamilton shot 16 kindergarteners and their teacher dead in a school gymnasium in Dunblane, Scotland. The U.K. subsequently banned the private ownership of almost all handguns.

Mass shootings and killings with firearms are rare in Britain, where knives were used in about 40% of homicides in the year to March 2023.

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press