Incident Overview
A man drove his car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, injuring eight people, four of whom sustained serious injuries, according to officials.
Among the injured is a woman who reportedly suffered the crushing of both her legs.
After the vehicle stopped against a shop window, the driver exited the car holding a knife and injured a passer-by who pursued him before the suspect was subdued.
The suspect, aged 31, has been identified by authorities as an Italian national of Moroccan descent. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the event as "extremely serious".
The incident took place around 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT) on Via Emilia, adjacent to Modena's iconic cathedral, located southeast of Milan. The speeding car struck pedestrians before veering left and coming to a stop against a shop window.
Eyewitness Accounts
"We saw the car approaching, it was heading for the curb,"
an eyewitness recounted.
"It suddenly accelerated - it was going at least 100km/h (62mph)."
"We saw people flying,"
the witness told Italian media.
Official Statements
Modena's Mayor Massimo Mezzetti stated that the driver appeared to have "deliberately drove on to the pavement, hitting several people and crashing into a shop window."
He added,
"He then got out of his car and brandished a knife."
Among the injured are five women and three men. One woman reportedly lost both legs.
Suspect Pursuit and Restraint
Luca Signorelli told Italian media that while attempting to assist the injured woman, he noticed the driver attempting to flee. Signorelli pursued the suspect, who then confronted him with a knife. Signorelli sustained blows to the head and chest before managing to restrain the attacker with assistance from other bystanders.
Suspect Background
The mayor indicated that the suspect was born in the province of Bergamo, near Milan, and currently resides in the province of Modena.
Italy's far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-immigrant League party, identified the suspect on X as Salim El Koudri, labeling him a "second-generation criminal."
Italian media report that El Koudri is an economics graduate, currently unemployed, and has no prior criminal record.
Mental Health History
At a news conference on Saturday evening, Modena's prefect Fabrizia Triolo disclosed that El Koudri had been referred to a mental health center in 2022 for "schizoid disorders," but subsequently "disappeared without a trace."
