Southport, England: US singer Taylor Swift spoke of her horror at the news three girls had been stabbed to death and five other children were critically wounded after a ferocious attack at a dance event in northern England for young fans of her music.

A 17-year-old male is in police custody on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after the incident at the “Taylor Swift yoga and dance workshop” in Southport, north of Liverpool, a summer vacation event for children aged from six to 11 on Monday morning, local time.

Police on Tuesday confirmed a third child had died as a result of injuries sustained in the attack. The three victims were girls aged six, seven and nine. Eight other children also suffered stab wounds and five remained in a critical condition.

Two adults were also critically wounded attempting to protect the young victims, police said. Witnesses described what they saw as being like a scene from a horror film.

“The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously and I’m just completely in shock,” Swift wrote on Instagram.

“These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”

Her fans have raised more than 50,000 pounds ($98,000) online to help families of the victims and for the hospital where some of the children were being treated.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack, which police are not treating as terrorism-related, “horrendous” while King Charles and his family expressed their shock at what had happened.