Eight pedestrians were injured in Modena after a car mounted a pavement and struck people on one of the northern city’s main streets, leaving four victims in critical condition and prompting investigators to examine whether the act was deliberate.Police detained the suspected driver, identified by authorities as Salim El Koudri, a 31-year-old citizen of Moroccan origin born in Bergamo and living in the province of Modena. He was taken to police headquarters after attempting to flee the scene on Saturday, May 16, while bystanders and officers moved to stop him.
Local officials said the car veered onto the pavement before crashing into a shop window, causing severe injuries among pedestrians. One woman suffered catastrophic injuries after being pinned against the window and underwent the amputation of both legs. The most serious cases were transferred to hospitals in Modena and Bologna, with emergency services using helicopters for some of the wounded.
Investigators have said there was no immediate evidence that the suspect was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Searches were carried out at his home and on his phone as police and prosecutors worked to establish motive, planning and state of mind. Early findings did not show links to terrorist organisations or extremist networks, though authorities have cautioned that the inquiry remains active.
El Koudri, who holds a degree in economics and was unemployed, was known to local mental health services. Officials said he had previously been diagnosed with a schizoid personality disorder and had expressed frustration over his work and social condition. Authorities are examining whether psychological distress, personal grievances or other factors contributed to the attack.
Prosecutors are pursuing charges including massacre and aggravated injury. A court review of the suspect’s detention was expected as the case drew national attention, both because of the violence of the episode and because it took place in a busy urban area during daytime hours.
Modena Mayor Massimo Mezzetti said no deaths had been reported, but described the crash as extremely serious. He said the car entered a main street and sent several people flying before striking the shopfront. Witnesses said the suspect was holding a knife after the crash. Officials initially indicated that no stabbing had taken place, while later accounts said a bystander suffered a slight knife wound while trying to help restrain him.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the episode as extremely grave and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families. She praised citizens who intervened and thanked police, carabinieri and financial police personnel who responded to the scene.
The incident has opened a wider debate in Italy about public safety, mental health monitoring and integration. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said current evidence did not match the profile of a planned terrorist attack, but argued that the case could not be dismissed solely as an isolated act of mental instability. He linked the episode to broader questions around marginalisation, identity and social distress, while stressing that investigators must establish the facts.
Political reactions have been sharply divided. Figures from the League used the case to renew calls for tougher migration policies, while other officials noted that the suspect is an Italian citizen and warned against turning the attack into a broad indictment of migrants or second-generation Italians. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani rejected language portraying the suspect as a migrant, underlining that the case involved a citizen.
Local leaders in Modena pushed back against generalisations, noting that migrants were among those who helped stop the suspect. Thousands of residents gathered in Piazza Grande in a show of solidarity with the victims, reflecting concern across the city over both the violence and the political rhetoric that followed.
The attack has also placed attention on the pressure faced by mental health and social support services, particularly when people known to services drop out of care. Officials said the suspect had received treatment in 2022 before disengaging. That detail is expected to form part of the investigation into whether warning signs were missed and whether local agencies had sufficient tools to intervene.
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