After the expulsion, Mr. Rudakubana is enrolled at Acorns School in Lancashire, which caters for children with special needs, and at Presfield High School and a specialist college. But it struggled to integrate, the protection agency said, a situation that worsened after the pandemic began in 2020 and schools closed. Despite efforts by professionals to address him, he “continued to face challenges related to his emotional and behavioral well-being, social interactions and education,” the agency said, and his attendance was limited.

“Savagery and senselessness”

On July 22, Mr. Rudakubana booked a taxi to take him to Range High School, according to a local police official. But his father ran outside and begged the driver not to drive him, and eventually Mr. Rudakubana returned to the house. CCTV footage showed him wearing the same hoodie and mask he would wear a week later, during the Southport attack. There was no further information about the incident.

On the morning of the attack, two teachers set up a room at Hart Space, a yoga and community studio in Southport. They set up a bracelet-making station and a yoga area, and lined up a Taylor Swift playlist, ready for the 26 youngsters who arrived around 10am. The class was advertised on the Instagram account and sold out quickly.

While the class was coming to an end, shortly before noon, Mr. Rudakubana arrived in a taxi and walked into the building, where he stabbed to death Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9. Eight other children were wounded, along with Leanne Lucas, the organizer of the event, who tried to protect the children, and John Hayes, a businessman who worked nearby and who tried to tackle Mr. Rudakuban.