Pontefract pub attack victim critically ill in hospital
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Sky News
41 minutes ago
- Sky News
Southport stabbing victim reveals how she survived attack - and fears 'it could happen again'
A girl who was stabbed in the Southport attack has told Sky News how she thought she was going to die that day. Warning: Some readers may find this content distressing It is exactly a year since Axel Rudakubana killed three girls and attempted to murder eight others at a summer holiday Taylor Swift-themed dance event in the seaside town. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was stabbed in the back and the arm after going to the class with her younger sister. She is now campaigning for children to have mandatory first aid training at school in response to the growth of knife crime. She said she clearly remembers what happened that day. "Some of the girls were sat down in a circle making bracelets with the teachers, and a couple of them were getting up to get beads. I was standing between two tables and he came through the doors. "He stabbed a little girl in front of me and then came for me and stabbed my arm. I turned and then he stabbed my back, even though I didn't feel it at the time. "There was a bunch of girls huddled around so I just started pushing them down the stairs, telling them to get out and run. "I was thinking 'Where's my sister?' and 'We need to get out'." She and many of the other victims ran to the house of a neighbour for shelter. "I just thought that I was going to die," she said. Killer 'looked possessed' The girl said she can clearly picture Rudakubana that day. "What I remember most about him is his eyes. They just didn't look human, they looked possessed. It was kind of like a dream and you're on a movie set and watching yourself go through it and make these decisions. "It's just kind of like adrenaline. People like to think they know what they'd do in that situation but, in reality, you don't until you're in it." Six-year-old Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, who was seven, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar died in the attack. It is something she finds difficult to talk about. "I don't think I can express how I feel about it," the girl said. "A lot of anger and sadness." In January, Rudakubana was jailed for life and must serve a minimum of 52 years before he can be considered for release. The chairman of the public inquiry into the atrocity called the attack "one of the most egregious crimes in our country's history". Carrying knives 'disgusting' The girl who survived has now launched a campaign, supported by a clothing range called "Go Anywhere, Be Anything" to raise funds, to improve the ability of schoolchildren to help in the event of knife attacks. "Everyone that's going out and carrying knives is getting younger and younger," she said. "And to think that it's people my age is like disgusting. "I just want to try and do the best I can to let people know that it's not okay to do that and that they need to think about what they're doing and the risks and how they're harming themselves and other people." Her sister, who was also there that day, helped design "Go Anywhere, Be Anything". A three-minute silence will be held in Southport at 3pm to mark one year on from the attack. In an open letter to the community, Sefton Council wrote: "This period is incredibly hard for the families of Alice, Bebe and Elsie and all of those children and adults injured or who suffered lifelong psychological impact of witnessing the attack, and we acknowledge the huge impact on their lives, too. "We must not forget the local people who rushed to support and to our emergency responders. They all remain always in our thoughts." It is a sentiment shared by the survivor. "You live in fear every day that it could happen again," she said.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Gunman kills four, including police officer, in Manhattan skyscraper, then takes own life
NEW YORK, July 28 (Reuters) - A gunman opened fire on Monday inside a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper housing NFL headquarters and offices of several financial firms, including Blackstone, killing four people before fatally shooting himself, New York City officials said. One of the four victims slain in the gun violence was a 36-year-old New York Police Department officer who had been on the force for about 3 1/2 years. The three others killed by the suspect were civilians. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the gunman, who resided in Las Vegas and drove cross-country to New York in recent days, fatally shot himself in the chest at the end of his shooting spree. Tisch said the gunman was believed to have acted alone, and investigators had yet to determine a possible motive for the shooting. A photo of the suspect that CNN said was shared by police showing a gunman walking into the building carrying a rifle was published by a number of major news media outlets. Preliminary checks of the suspect's background did not show a significant criminal history, the report added, citing officials. The skyscraper at 345 Park Avenue houses offices of a number of financial institutions, including Blackstone and KPMG, along with the NFL headquarters. A large police presence converged on the area around the tower, according to Reuters journalists near the scene. 'I just saw a lot of commotion and cops and people screaming,' said Russ McGee, a 31-year-old sports bettor who was working out in a gym adjacent to the skyscraper, told Reuters in an interview near the scene. The FBI said agents from its New York field office were also responding to provide support at the scene.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Evil will not define Southport a year on from attack, deputy council leader says
The people of Southport will not 'allow evil to define' them, a year on from a knife attack on a children's dance class. Tuesday marks one year since Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, entered the Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Hart Street and fatally injured Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. In the days following the attack, during which he also attempted to kill eight other children and two adults, violent disorder broke out in the seaside town and across the country. Deputy leader of Sefton Council Paulette Lappin said now the community was looking to move forward in a positive way. She told the PA news agency: 'It still remains beyond belief, even though I know it to be true, and so it's just very sad. 'From sadness, we hope to bring goodness and that's all we can do.' This summer the area outside Southport Town Hall, where hundreds laid floral tributes and a vigil was held last year, is again filled with colourful flowers. The flowers are now in planters which have been put in place ahead of its transformation into legacy gardens, in memory of those who lost their lives in the attack. Councillor Lappin said: 'It will be designed for the enjoyment and the fun of children, so that all children can come and they can all play in here. 'That's what we have to remember, that it is an absolutely terrible tragedy, but we cannot allow evil to define us.' A new playground is also being built at Churchtown Primary School, in memory of Alice and Bebe, who were both pupils. On the anniversary, members of the public are being asked not to lay flowers but to consider making donations to local causes – including funds set up in the names of the victims of the attack and the Southport Strong Together Appeal, which was established last year to support those affected. No large vigil will be held, but a three-minute silence will be observed at 3pm and churches and community centres will be open for those looking for support or space for quiet reflection. Cllr Lappin said plans for the day were guided by the families, who had their 'thoughts, compassion and incredible respect'. Last summer, a recovery fund was set up to help businesses affected by the attack and to support families. Cllr Lappin said the council had worked with the voluntary sector, specialists involved in trauma, community and faith groups and the emergency services over the past year. 'We hope that this is a holistic approach of listening to everybody with respect and dignity so that we can actually move forward together as much as we possibly can,' she said. 'This work is ongoing. It will continue.'
