Teen Pleads Guilty in Taylor Swift Dance Class Attack

Axel Rudakubana on Monday pleaded guilty to murdering three young girls and injuring 10 others during a stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England, on July 29. The incident unfolded on the first day of summer vacation, and the 18-year-old's guilty plea came at the start of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court. He also pleaded guilty to charges related to the possession of the poison ricin and having an al-Qaeda manual.

The attack sparked a week-long wave of unrest across England and Northern Ireland, fueled by misinformation that falsely identified Rudakubana as an asylum-seeker; he was born in Wales to Rwandan immigrants. Far-right groups attacked mosques and migrant accommodations, and more than 1,200 individuals were arrested, with hundreds sentenced to up to nine years in prison.

This case has not been officially labeled as terrorism as the motive remains unknown. Alice Dasilva Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Bebe King were killed in the attack, which left eight other girls, their teacher, and a bystander who tried to intervene injured. The trial is expected to last four weeks. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)