Merseyside Police are increasingly focusing on the mental health and potential neurodivergence of a 17-year-old suspect in connection with the mass stabbing that took place in Southport, leaving three children dead and several others critically injured. The attack, which occurred during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on Monday, targeted 11 children and two adults.
The suspect, a British-born teenager, remains in custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Police are conducting forensic searches at a house in the nearby village of Banks, where the suspect resided, as well as on the taxi he used to travel to the crime scene.
Authorities are examining records from educational, health, and social services agencies to understand any concerns raised about the suspect’s behaviour in his earlier years. At present, detectives are trying to piece together a motive for the attack, which has left five children and two adults fighting for their lives in the hospital. The adults are believed to have been wounded while shielding the children from the assailant.
During a session in the House of Commons, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper urged for patience, stating, “There will be wider questions for other days,” as police carry out their investigation. She also cautioned against misinformation that could further divide the community.
Merseyside Police have stated that, at this stage, terrorism is not believed to be the motive, although they are still investigating other potential explanations. Searches of electronic devices belonging to the suspect are ongoing, and police expect to gain a clearer picture of the suspect’s motives once they have thoroughly examined his phone and laptop. So far, no evidence supporting an ideological or terrorist motive has been uncovered.
Investigators are still searching for clues as to why the teenager targeted the dance class, which catered to young girls during the school summer holiday. Authorities have confirmed that they are not seeking any other suspects in connection with the attack, leaving the community grappling for answers.
Footage captured from a property in Banks shows a man wearing a green hoodie and a face mask, pacing outside a house later cordoned off by police. Residents of the village, however, said they did not know the suspect well, though they were familiar with an older couple believed to be his parents. Locals described the family as keeping to themselves, despite the community previously rallying around them for a charitable fundraiser.
The suspect’s family moved to Merseyside from South Wales around 2013. They initially lived in the centre of Southport before relocating to Banks, a small village about five miles away. Former neighbours in Thornhill, a suburb of Cardiff where the family briefly resided, recalled the suspect and his brother as “boisterous” children who often played football in the garden.
Police continue to appeal for any information that may help to establish a motive as they work to understand the tragic events that unfolded.
