King Charles makes harrowing visit to city where 3 girls were murdered during Taylor Swift dance class

The 75-year-old monarch spent the afternoon of August 20 in Southport, England, to show his support for the families of those killed in the stabbing on July 29.

King Charles showed his support for the families and community affected by the deaths of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29.

The 75-year-old King visited Southport on August 20 to meet some of the families affected by the tragedy and to strengthen community relations.

Charles arrived with a wave to onlookers as he entered Southport Town Hall, where he was holding a private meeting with families and some children who were at the event when the attack occurred last month. The visit had been announced three hours earlier by Buckingham Palace, prompting a crowd to cheer his arrival.

After meeting the families affected by the attack, he spent time with members of the Southport community at the town hall.

King Charles then went to Southport fire station to speak to local groups and faith leaders affected by the violence that followed the death and arrest of a young man.

Three girls — Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9 — were killed in the attack. Palace sources confirmed to PEOPLE that King Charles will also meet privately with the dead girls’ families in London on Wednesday, August 21.

Several other children were injured in the attack, as were two adults who intervened. A teenage boy, who was 17 at the time, has been charged with the murder. Following the arrest, riots and clashes, much of which were apparently incited by misinformation falsely claiming the suspect was an immigrant, broke out in Southport, where the mosque was attacked, and in other cities in England.

Merseyside Police reported on July 30 that more than 50 officers were injured in what they described as a “disorder”. Those involved in the violence destroyed garden walls and used them to throw stones at officers and a local mosque. The perpetrators also vandalized a supermarket and set fire to cars and bins.

At his meeting at the fire station on 20 August, King Charles spoke to representatives from the emergency services and local community groups in the area, led by Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, and Councillor June Burns, Mayor of Sefton. Patrick Hurley, MP for Sefton, and Sefton Council Leader Marion Atkinson were also present.

Staff from Merseyside’s police, fire, rescue and ambulance services also spoke about their role in responding to recent events and keeping people in the area safe.

Related: Taylor Swift ‘completely lost’ after Southport stabbing attack leaves 3 children dead at Swift-themed event

On July 30, Taylor Swift, 34, shared her grief over the deaths on Instagram Stories, saying she was “completely in shock.” She invited survivors of the attack to join her backstage for a “magical night” during one of her Eras Tour stops in London, PEOPLE reported. Swift also reportedly sent gifts and personalized balloons to the hospitalized victims following the incident.

In the hours following the event, the King, Kate Middleton and Prince William released statements expressing their grief and shock.

“As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport are going through today,” the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 42, wrote on social media. “We send our love, thoughts and prayers to everyone affected by this appalling and horrific attack.”

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They added: “Thanks also to the emergency services who, despite the most horrific scenes, showed compassion and professionalism when the community needed them most.”

Related: Dozens of officers injured during riot at vigil for stabbing victims at Taylor Swift-themed event: police

King Charles and Queen Camilla said in a statement on social media that they were “deeply shocked to hear of this utterly appalling incident”, adding: “We send our sincere condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives so tragically and to all those affected by this truly horrific attack.”

King Charles, who primarily resides in Balmoral Castle in Scotland for the summer, has a long history of using his position to bring different faiths and communities together. Hitan Mehta, who has worked with the king in his role as head of the British Asian Trust, told PEOPLE that the royal is “someone who understands the United Kingdom and the diversity of this country. He also understands the challenges that people face here in the U.K.”

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