17-Year-Old Charged in Southport Murders

Axel Rudakubana, a 17-year-old from Southport, has been charged with the murder of three young girls—Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine—during a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Prior to his arrest, Rudakubana was a member of a local theatre group and had performed in a West End musical, although friends described him as quiet and more interested in making friends than pursuing an acting career. CCTV footage captured him shortly before the attack, wearing a hooded jacket and face mask. He is also accused of attempting to murder eight additional individuals, including other children and adults who intervened. His family, originally from Rwanda, had relocated to the UK following the genocide in the 1990s and were described by neighbors as a 'nice, normal' family. The BBC announced that Rudakubana had no affiliation with its 'Children in Need' campaign from when he was younger, as the video featuring him has since been removed.