It has been reported that the man accused of fatally stabbing three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance class event has pleaded guilty to murder. On Monday, January 20th, Axel Rudakubana admitted to killing Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice da Silva Aguiar, and Bebe King, on July 29th last year, as his trial began at Liverpool Crown Court in England, according to the BBC and U.K. newspapers The Independent and The Guardian.
Rudakubana, of Banks in Lancashire, pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and 10 of attempted murder, as per the BBC. In addition, he pled guilty to two terror-related charges after being accused of possessing the poison ricin and for having an Al Qaeda training manual, according to the outlet.
The stabbings took place at a Swift-themed dance class at The Hart Space community center in Southport, England, during the victims’ summer vacation from school.
King and Stancombe succumbed to the attack, while da Silva Aguiar later died from her injuries in the hospital, per The Independent. A further five children and two adults were treated in the hospital following the attack, according to the outlet.
Per The Guardian, Rudakubana — who was born in Wales to Rwandan Christian parents — was age 17 at the time of the stabbings. At Monday’s trial, he wore a surgical face mask and refused to confirm his identity when asked by the judge.
