Marcin Tyjon, a 41-year-old window cleaner, and his colleague Joel Verite, 26, found themselves at the heart of a horrific tragedy while driving in Southport. Hearing screams and witnessing children fleeing in terror, they stopped to investigate and discovered a bleeding woman leaning against a car. The woman frantically warned them about a killer inside a nearby dance studio, the Hart Space, attacking children. Acting instinctively, Marcin rushed into the studio, encountering chaos and further screams. He and Joel immediately began assisting injured children, carrying them out of the building. Unbeknownst to them at the time, the attacker, Axel Rudakubana, was still inside, adding to the urgency and danger of their rescue efforts.
Inside the Hart Space, a dance class filled with 26 children had become the scene of an unimaginable nightmare. Rudakubana, 28, was in the midst of a frenzied stabbing rampage. Marcin and Joel, focused solely on saving the children, worked tirelessly, unaware of the ongoing threat within the building. Neighbours quickly rallied to their aid, providing towels and assistance as the two men carried injured children to safety. Later, Joel recounted how he saw Rudakubana standing on the landing but chose to prioritize rescuing the children rather than confronting the attacker.
As ambulances arrived and began transporting the injured to the hospital, the full extent of the horror became clear. Marcin, still shaken, assisted paramedics, identifying a critically injured child and requesting further medical assistance. The street, normally bustling with the energy of a children’s dance class, was transformed into a scene of anguish and despair. Parents arrived to collect their children, many crying and screaming in the face of the unimaginable tragedy. Marcin, despite his heroic actions, was later plagued by self-doubt, wondering if he could have done more to help.
The attack’s perpetrator, Axel Rudakubana, was later identified and charged. His background revealed a disturbing trajectory. Born in Cardiff, Wales, to Rwandan parents, he moved with his family to Banks, Lancashire, near Southport, in 2013. Unknown to authorities at the time, Rudakubana harbored disturbing interests. As early as 2019, at just 13 years old, he was reported to the Prevent anti-terror program due to his fascination with school massacres and the 2017 London terror attacks. However, on three separate occasions, he was assessed and deemed not to pose a terrorism risk.
The attack unfolded in a matter of minutes within the Hart Space dance studio. Three young girls, Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, tragically lost their lives. Eight other children, along with their dance instructor, Leanne Lucas, and a businessman, John Hayes, were injured in the attack. The immediate aftermath saw an outpouring of grief and support within the community, with vigils held for the victims. However, this grief soon turned into anger and unrest, fueled by misinformation spreading online regarding Rudakubana’s alleged status as an asylum seeker.
The immediate aftermath of the tragedy sparked widespread unrest and protests across the UK. These demonstrations, initially motivated by grief and anger, were quickly hijacked by extremist groups, leading to violence and disorder in several cities. False information circulating online about Rudakubana’s background fueled anti-immigrant sentiment, further exacerbating the unrest. The protests continued for several weeks, leading to numerous arrests and a heightened police presence across the country. The violence ultimately overshadowed the initial outpouring of grief and support for the victims and their families, forcing the government to address the escalating situation and implement measures to quell the unrest. The tragedy in Southport, already a horrific event, became a catalyst for social unrest, highlighting the dangers of misinformation and the fragility of social cohesion in times of crisis.
