A man drove his car at high speed into a crowd of pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena on Saturday afternoon, injuring eight people — four of them seriously — before being overpowered and arrested. The attack took place at around 16:30 local time on Via Emilia, near Modena's iconic medieval cathedral in the city's historic centre. Witnesses described the car accelerating to approximately 100 km/h (62 mph) before mounting the pavement and striking bystanders. "We saw people flying," one eyewitness told Italian media.
The vehicle eventually came to a halt against a shop window. Among the injured, one woman was reported to have both her legs crushed between the car and the building's facade, with her doctors warning that amputation may be necessary. Five women and three men were hurt in total. After the car stopped, the driver emerged holding a knife and injured a bystander who had attempted to pursue him. Several members of the public worked together to restrain the suspect until police arrived.
The suspect has been identified as Salim El Koudri, 31, an Italian national of Moroccan origin born in the province of Bergamo, near Milan, who had been living in the Modena area. Italian media report that he holds an economics degree, is currently unemployed, and has no prior criminal record. Modena's prefect, Fabrizia Triolo, told a news conference that El Koudri had been referred to a mental health centre in 2022 for schizoid disorders but had subsequently "disappeared without a trace." Authorities are investigating the incident as intentional, though a definitive motive has not yet been established.
The attack drew swift political reactions. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the incident as "extremely serious." Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who leads the anti-immigration League party, named the suspect publicly on social media and used the occasion to highlight his background. Mayor Massimo Mezzetti stated that the driver appeared to have deliberately mounted the pavement and thanked the bystanders who helped restrain him.
Modena, a prosperous city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, is best known internationally for its cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and as the home of Ferrari and Maserati. The investigation into the precise circumstances and motivations behind the attack is ongoing.