The suspect arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of three children in northwest England was born in the UK, according to police, despite online posts claiming he was an asylum seeker who arrived in the country by boat in 2023.
Eight other children and two adults were also injured, some critically, in the knife attack in Southport, a town north of Liverpool, on July 29. A male suspect was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, Merseyside Police said in a statement.
The claim appeared to originate from a July 29 article on the website “Channel 3 Now” that was later updated to remove in-text references to “Ali Al-Shakati.”
Merseyside Police told Reuters in an email that the name is incorrect and referred Reuters to its statement that said the suspect was born in Cardiff, Wales.
“A 17-year-old male from Banks in Lancashire, who was born in Cardiff, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder,” the statement reads.
It also said the incident was not being treated as terror-related.
In an email to Reuters and in a July 30 statement, a Merseyside Police spokesperson said: “A name has been shared on social media in connection with the suspect in the incident in Southport. This name is incorrect and we would urge people not to speculate on details of the incident while the investigation is ongoing.”
The police spokesperson told Reuters that “Ali Al-Shakati” is the name referred to as being incorrect.
The identities of children between the ages of 10 and 17 who are charged with a crime are not disclosed outside the court, according to the Crown Prosecution Service website, but this can be lifted in exceptional circumstances.
Channel 3 Now did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
VERDICT
False. The suspect arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder following a stabbing attack in Southport was born in Cardiff, Wales.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.
