Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in Taylor Swift’s Southport Dance Class Murders

Rudakubana Pleads Not Guilty

Axel Rudakubana has pleaded not guilty to murder at Taylor Swift’s dance class in Southport.

Details of the Tragic Incident

Earlier this summer, an 18-year-old was accused of being the attacker who fatally shot three children during a Swift-themed dance and yoga workshop on Hart Street. The three victims were six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar.

According to Guardian, Rudakubana appeared at Liverpool Crown Court via video link from HMP Belmarsh, where he is being held. The accused assailant did not speak during the hearing and entered a plea of not guilty to three murder charges as well as 10 counts of attempted murder in connection with the alleged attacks on eight other children and two adults.

He was also charged with possession of a knife, production of the biological toxin ricin, and possession of information that could be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.

At the time of his arrest, Rudakubana was 17 years old. Police said he was originally from Cardiff and lived in the village of Banks near Southport in Merseyside, England.

On July 30, Swift shared a handwritten statement about the attack on her Instagram Stories. “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport lingers over me and I am simply in complete shock,” she wrote.

“The loss of life and innocence, and the terrible trauma caused to everyone who was there, the families, and the first responders.”

The singer continued: “They were just little kids in dance class. I really don’t know how to express my sympathy for these families.”

Support for Survivors and Victims’ Families

Swift, along with her mother Andrea, also took time to meet some of the survivors at one of her Eras tour dates at Wembley Stadium earlier this summer. The “Bejeweled” singer and her mother posed for photos with two survivors backstage. The photos show Swift with two girls (one of whom appears to have a bandage on her left forearm) posing together next to Andrea.

Several Swift fans have also started a fundraiser to help raise funds for those affected by the tragedy and have raised over £394,000.

In a press statement, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: “It is understood that the children were attending a Taylor Swift event at a dance school when an offender armed with a knife entered the premises and began attacking the children.”

“We believe the injured adults bravely tried to protect the children who were attacked.”

In other news, Swift recently surpassed Drake to become the artist with the most wins at the Billboard Music Awards.