Hundreds of people gathered today for the funeral of Elsie Dot Stancombe, the 7-year-old who was killed in a knife attack in Southport, northwest England, a crime that sparked far-right riots in the country in late July.

The small coffin containing the child’s body was carried to St. John’s Church in Birkdale, near the town of Southport, in a carriage, drawn by two white horses.

Covered in a pastel-colored cloth and decorated with a stuffed doll of the little girl, the casket was carried to the entrance on a red carpet, in the presence of townspeople who came to pay their respects to Elsie.

At the family’s request, relatives and friends wore pastel or patterned clothing for the ceremony. Elsie’s friends from her cheerleading squad also stood outside the church in their uniforms, unable to hold back tears as the coffin passed under a balloon arch that had been set up.

“Elsie spent each day simply enjoying life, with determination, perseverance, love and kindness“, the family said in a press release, published before the funeral.

The little girl was killed along with Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, and Bebe King, 6, during the July 29 attack on a dance class in Southport, which also injured 10 people, including 8 children.

During the ceremony in the packed church, teacher Katie Sykes said Elsie had the power to “light up any room she walked into”.

Almost three weeks after the attack, which was followed by far-right riots in dozens of cities in England and Northern Ireland, King Charles traveled to Southport on Tuesday to meet survivors and their families. On Wednesday he welcomed the families of the three girls who lost their lives to London.

The incidents sparked far-right unrest amid rumors circulating online about the suspect in the attack, who was initially described as a Muslim asylum seeker who had arrived by boat.

It is in fact Axel Rudakubana, aged 18 when he committed the attack, born in Cardiff, Wales, to a family, according to the media, of Rwandan origin, a predominantly Christian country.

His motives remain unknown, although the scenario of a terrorist attack was not advanced.