Singer Taylor Swift expressed shock and sympathy after three children were killed at a dance workshop celebrating her music in Southport, England. Eight other children were injured, with five in critical condition, in what police described as a “ferocious” knife attack. Two adults were also critically injured while trying to defend the children. A 17-year-old boy from a nearby village was arrested in connection with the attack, but no motive has been disclosed and it is not believed to be terror-related. Local residents paid tribute to the victims with flowers and stuffed animals at a memorial near the scene of the incident. Swift’s “Swifties for Southport” fundraiser has raised over £41,000 for the affected families. The attack is a rare occurrence in the U.K., where gun violence is low and knives are more commonly used in homicides. The worst attack on children in the U.K. occurred in 1996 when 16 kindergarteners and their teacher were shot dead in Dunblane, Scotland, leading to strict gun ownership laws. King Charles III and Queen Camilla also expressed shock at the tragedy. Swift, along with local authorities and the community, has been supporting the grieving families in the aftermath of the horrifying attack.
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