17-Year-Old Boy Charged with Murder of 3 Girls After Stabbing at Taylor Swift-Themed Event in Southp…see more

17-Year-Old Boy Charged with Murder of 3 Girls After Stabbing at Taylor Swift-Themed Event in Southport
Axel Muganwa Rudakubana has also been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, Merseyside Police confirmed

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of the three young girls who died following a stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class in Southport, England.

In the early hours of Thursday, Aug. 1, Merseyside Police confirmed in a news release obtained by PEOPLE that the teen has been charged with killing Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, in the knife attack, which took place around 11:50 a.m. local time on Monday, July 29.

The 17-year-old has also been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, and possession of a bladed article, per the news release.

A reporting restriction over the name of the suspect was lifted in court on Thursday, with the teen being named as Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, per BBC News, The Guardian and The Telegraph. He is due to turn 18 on Aug. 7.

The teen, of Banks in Lancashire, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court and has been remanded in youth custody. A plea and trial preparation hearing has been set for Oct. 25, according to BBC News.