The appearance in Liverpool Crown Court came after the shocking crime inspired two nights of violent unrest across England and UK prime minister Keir Starmer summoned British police chiefs to address the crisis Thursday.
The attack Monday on children at a Taylor Swift-themed summer holiday dance class shocked a country where knife crime is a long-standing and vexing problem, though mass stabbings are rare. The deaths have been used by far-right activists to stoke anger at immigrants and Muslims - though the suspect is not an immigrant, and his religion has not been disclosed.
The suspect, who police said was born in Britain, has not been charged with terrorism offenses but faces three counts of murder over the deaths of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6, in the seaside town of Southport in northwest England.
The alleged murder weapon was a kitchen knife with a curved blade, according to an additional charge he faces. It was also revealed that the suspect is just a week shy of becoming an adult when he turns 18.
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