An 18-year-old British teenager shocked the nation Monday by pleading guilty to murdering three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party in Southport, England, last July. Axel Rudakubana admitted to killing Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, in a knife attack that also injured ten others. The crime had initially prompted days of nationwide unrest.

Rudakubana changed his plea to guilty on the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court. In addition to the murder and attempted murder charges, he confessed to producing the deadly poison ricin and possessing an Al Qaeda training manual. Despite this, authorities have stated the incident is not being treated as terrorism-related.

A mother embraces her child while they observe floral tributes honoring the victims of the tragic knife attack in Southport, northwest England, last July.

The attack occurred during a summer children’s event and sparked violent unrest fueled by false social media claims accusing Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, of being a radical Islamist migrant. Riots spread across Britain, with mosques and asylum housing targeted. Over 1,500 arrests followed, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence as far-right thuggery.

Judge Julian Goose is set to sentence Rudakubana on Thursday, confirming a life term is inevitable.