Overview

• Axel Rudakubana, 18, pleaded guilty to murdering three young girls and attempting to kill others in a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last July.
• The attacker had been referred to the Prevent counter-terrorism program three times but was not deemed a threat due to a lack of clear ideological motivation.
• Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced a public inquiry into failures by government agencies, including 15 missed opportunities to intervene despite multiple warnings.
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer proposed expanding the legal definition of terrorism to include lone attackers without ideological motives, sparking debate among experts and law enforcement.
• Criticism has also been directed at Amazon and social media platforms for enabling access to harmful materials, including the knife and ricin ingredients used in the attack.