A British teenager who stabbed three young girls in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift dance event has pleaded guilty to murder.
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A teen pleaded guilty Monday to charges of killing three girls and wounding 10 other people in a stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England, last summer.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, entered the surprise plea at the start of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to three counts of murder – the killing of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6 - and 10 counts of attempted murder.
Eight other girls, ranging in age from 7 to 13, were wounded, along with instructor Leanne Lucas and Jonathan Hayes, who worked in a business next door and intervened. Fifteen other girls, as young as 5, were at the class but uninjured.
Rudakubana also pleaded guilty to additional charges related to possessing the poison ricin and for having an al-Qaida manual.
The trial was expected to last four weeks. A judge said Rudakubana faces life imprisonment when sentenced Thursday.
The July 29 stabbings led to a week of rioting across parts of England and Northern Ireland after the suspect was falsely identified as an asylum-seeker who had recently arrived in Britain by boat. He was born in Wales.
Defence lawyer Stanley Reiz said he would present information to the judge about Rudakubana's mental health that may be relevant to his sentence.
Rudakubana had refused to speak in court and once again refused to identify himself at the start of the proceedings.
Prosecutors haven't said what they believe led to the rampage.
