Parents thought son was 'going for walk' on day he murdered kids

THE dad of Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana told police he believed his son was “going for a walk” on the day of the attack.

- BY PATRICK EDRICH

The ongoing Southport Inquiry heard how a “significant” theme of the proceedings will be Rudakubana’s relation with his family, in particular his behaviour in the week before the attack and what their awareness was of the weapon-obsessed teen's online orders.

“Cowardly” — Rudakubana was just 17 when he carried out the mass stabbing attack at the Taylor Swift-themed class at the Hart Space in Southport on July 29 last year.

Armed with a knife bought on Amazon and “specifically targeting women and girls” Rudakubana burst in while the children were making bracelets and began his attack.

Rudakubana murdered Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, in the attack. He also badly injured eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as well as teacher and party organiser Leanne Lucas and local businessman John Hayes.