Heroic Yoga Teacher Recalls Terror of Taylor Swift Dance Class Attack
In an exclusive interview with BBC Panorama, Leanne Lucas, the courageous yoga teacher who ran a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, UK, relives the horrifying events of July 29, 2024, when a mass stabbing left three young girls dead and many others injured. Lucas described how the attacker, Axel Rudakubana, who was recently sentenced to a staggering 52 years in prison, burst into The Hart Space community center with a horrifying intent. “I just knew that if I didn’t get out, everyone was going to die,” Lucas recalled, showcasing her instinctual bravery in a moment of sheer terror.
She bravely confronted Rudakubana, who at just 18 years old was found guilty of the murders of nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and six-year-old Bebe King. As he lunged at the children, Lucas, who sustained life-threatening injuries—stabbings to her spine, ribs, and lung—went full-on superhero mode, screaming to the kids to escape, even physically pushing them out of harm’s way. “I thought he wasn’t going to stop until he killed everyone,” she said, detailing the absolute panic as chaos erupted around her.
Amid the tragic backdrop, Taylor Swift herself expressed her profound sorrow on social media the day after the attack. Swift’s Instagram story stated, “These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.” The outpouring of grief and support from the public highlighted not only the tragedy but the inexplicable nature of the violence that unfolded in what was supposed to be a joyful event.
Despite the trauma and her critical injuries, Lucas’s actions were credited with saving lives, though she somberly noted, “[That] gives nothing for the children who did die.” Reports indicate that this tragic incident has sparked discussions around public safety at community events and the urgent need for increased security measures in the wake of such senseless violence.
This heartbreaking story captures not only the harrowing experience of the survivors but also raises important questions about safety and community resilience in the face of unimaginable violence.
Sources: Celebrity Storm Wire and People Magazine, BBC Panorama, The Guardian
