Three young girls killed in a knife attack in the English town of Southport have been named.
Merseyside Police said they are six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar.
Bebe and Elsie died on Monday night while Alice, who was named by police hours before the younger girls, died in hospital this morning.
Hundreds gathered on the town's main shopping street for a vigil on Tuesday evening following the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club on Monday.
Meanwhile, two adults who were critically injured in the attack have been named locally as yoga teacher Leanne Lucas, who co-organised the dance event for six to 11-year-olds, and John Hayes, who works at The Hart Space where the stabbings took place.
Five other children are still in a critical condition in hospital, while the exact conditions of three other children injured are not known.
They are all being treated in hospitals across Liverpool and Manchester.
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested and is being held on suspicion of murder and attempted murder following the stabbings.
'Love from Your Hero Daddy and Mummy'
In a statement shared after the three girls who were killed were named, Bebe's family said: "No words can describe the devastation that has hit our family as we try to deal with the loss of our little girl Bebe."
The family of Alice said: "Keep smiling and dancing like you love to do our princess, like we said before to you, you're always our princess and no one would change that.
"Love from Your Hero Daddy and Mummy."
The families of all three girls are being supported by specialist officers, Merseyside Police said.
The Portuguese government has confirmed Alice was a Portuguese national and her parents were originally from Madeira.
Ms Lucas and Mr Hayes remain in hospital with critical injuries following the attack.
Popstar Taylor Swift said she was at a "complete loss" for how to covey her sympathies to the families affected.
In a statement on Instagram she said the "horror of yesterday's attack in Southport is washing over me continuously and I'm just completely in shock".
She added: "I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families."
US singer Taylor Swift issues statement after stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed event in the English town of #Southport pic.twitter.com/PYA1XiYqEo
— Jack Quann (@jqbilbao) July 30, 2024
British Prime Minister Kier Starmer placed flowers among the hundreds of other tributes at the cordon on Hart Street when he visited Southport earlier.
Speaking to the media, he said: "I came here to pay my respects to the victims and families who are going through raw pain and grief that most of us can't imagine - I can't imagine, as a dad myself."
Mr Starmer also shook the hands of firefighters and ambulance staff during a visit to the local police station and told them he was "incredibly proud" of how they responded to the tragedy.
The UK's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the knife attack as an "unspeakable tragedy" as she updated MPs in the House of Commons on Tuesday evening.
Reporting by: IRN
