A three-minute silence will be held in Southport on Wednesday to mark two years since the attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class that killed three girls and injured several others.
Victims and injuries
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; Bebe King, six; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were killed in the attack on July 29 2024. Eight other children, dance teacher Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes were physically injured.
Silence and reflection
The silence will take place at 3pm and will be observed by public bodies including Sefton Council. Members of the public are invited to join wherever they are. People have been encouraged not to leave floral tributes but to donate to local causes instead.
In an open letter last week, Sefton Council said local spaces had been identified for residents to “say a prayer, light a candle, speak to someone or spend a quiet moment reflecting”. The council added: “We fully understand that many of us still need to grieve and to acknowledge the day and there is no right or wrong way to do this.”
Foundations in memory
Following the deaths, foundations were set up in memory of each girl. Alice’s WonderDance Foundation aims to “spread Alice’s magic” by supporting young dancers. Elsie’s Story hopes to continue her legacy by supporting young people and children. Bebe’s Hive was launched to support grieving children with creative sessions.
Public inquiry
Earlier this year, a public inquiry into the attack, carried out by Axel Rudakubana, found it “could and should have been prevented” if steps had been taken by agencies and his parents.
