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

King, 75, visited Southport on August 20 to meet some of the families affected by the tragedy and to strengthen relationships within the community.

King Charles waved to onlookers as he entered Southport Town Hall, where he held a private meeting with families and some of the children who were at the event when the attack occurred last month. Buckingham Palace announced the visit three hours in advance, and a crowd turned out 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 and viewed the flowers, balloons, stuffed animals and other memorials left in memory of the victims.

King Charles then made his way to Southport Fire Station to speak to local groups and religious 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 – died in the attack. Palace sources confirmed to PEOPLE that King Charles will meet privately with the girls’ families in London on August 21.

Several other children and two adults who intervened were injured in the attack.

A teenager, then 17, was charged with the murder. The arrest led to riots and unrest in Southport, where the mosque was attacked, and other towns in England, much of which appears to have been fuelled by misinformation falsely claiming the suspect was an immigrant.

Merseyside Police said on July 30 that more than 50 officers had been injured in what it described as “rioting.” Those involved in the violence destroyed garden walls and threw bricks at officers and a local mosque. The perpetrators also destroyed a supermarket and set fire to cars and rubbish bins.

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

Staff from Merseyside Police, Fire, Rescue and Ambulance services also spoke about their role in responding to recent events and protecting people in the area.

John Hayes, a 63-year-old businessman who was among the first people on the scene and was injured in the July 29 attack, told the BBC that King Charles’ visit had been a “boost” for those who met him.

“It was nice to meet him. I found him very personable and easy to get along with,” said Hayes, noting that it was “very nice” of the monarch to travel from Scotland for the trip. The day before, on August 19, King Charles was officially welcomed at Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands, where the royals traditionally meet in the summer.

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

Shortly after the event, the King, as well as Kate Middleton and Prince William, issued statements expressing their sadness and shock.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 42, wrote on social media: “As parents, we cannot even begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed or injured in Southport today must be going through. We send our love, thoughts and prayers to everyone involved in this horrific and abhorrent attack.”

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

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

King Charles has long used 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 king is “a person who understands the United Kingdom and the diversity of this nation. He also understands the challenges that people face here in the United Kingdom.”