UK stabbing: 8 injured; 17-year-old taken into custody | Top Updates

Merseyside Police said in a statement, “There are several reported casualties and more details will be confirmed when possible. Armed police have detained a male and seized a knife. He has been taken to a police station. Please avoid the area while we deal with this incident. There is no wider threat to the public.”

A witness told Associated Press that they saw children covered in blood running from a community centre. The centre was hosting a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga event for kids aged 6 to 11. The event was advertised as “a morning of Taylor Swift-themed yoga, dance, and bracelet making”. 

Top updates:

• A 17-year-old was taken into custody on Monday as the police said they were not treating the incident as terror-related, AP reported.
• As per AFP, police reported that armed officers arrested a man and confiscated a knife after being called to a location in Southport, near Liverpool, in northwest England.
• The North West Ambulance Service reported that it transported eight injured people to nearby hospitals following the incident in Southport, near Liverpool.
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on X, “Horrendous and deeply shocking news emerging from Southport. My thoughts are with all those affected. I would like to thank the police and emergency services for their swift response. I am being kept updated as the situation develops.”
• Merseyside Police reported that officers were called to a location in Southport, a seaside town with around 100,000 residents near Liverpool, around noon. They labelled it a “major incident” but stated there was no broader danger to the public and requested that people stay away from the area.
• UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who was in the House of Commons answering scheduled questions, started by informing Parliament about the “extremely serious” incident. “I have been in contact with the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner and the Merseyside Mayor to convey my support to the police and our thanks to the police and emergency services for their swift and courageous response. The response to this awful incident is currently unfolding, and the House and the public will be updated in due course,” she said. 
• Alder Hey Children’s Hospital declared a major incident and said its emergency department was very busy. The hospital asked parents to bring their children in only for urgent cases, reported Reuters.
• As reports of several stabbings came in, at least 13 ambulances were dispatched to the location, according to the police.