Modena, car plows into crowd, injuring eight. The driver flees with a knife, but is stopped by passersby.

A car traveling at high speed struck about ten pedestrians in the center of Modena. Eight people were injured, four of them in serious condition: two were taken to Baggiovara Hospital in Modena and two were airlifted to Maggiore Hospital in Bologna .

The attack hypothesis is gaining traction following the events along Via Emilia, where emergency services and law enforcement immediately responded. So much so that the Bologna District Prosecutor's Office's terrorist unit has also been activated . The magistrates, coordinated by Deputy Prosecutor Morena Plazzi, are awaiting updates from the Bologna DIGOS (Special Operations Unit), which has sent personnel to Modena.

As can be seen from the images , the incident appears to have been a deliberate act. After crashing into a shop window, the driver of the vehicle, a Citroën C3, attempted to flee on foot, armed with a knife, and stabbed a man who had chased him and lunged at him. He was apprehended shortly afterward and is now in custody. His name is Elkoudri Salim, a 31-year-old Italian citizen of Moroccan origin . Born in the province of Bergamo, he lives in the Modena area and has a degree in economics. According to reports, the man, with no criminal record, has been undergoing psychiatric treatment. Initial investigations indicate he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A search of his home is underway.

The area, very crowded on Saturday afternoon, was cordoned off with red and white tape. Several ambulances responded to assist the injured in the street. Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza, and police were on site to manage the situation.

The witnesses

"It was heading for the sidewalk, we saw it coming," witnesses said, describing a "sudden acceleration" and a vehicle going "at least a hundred miles an hour." "We saw people flying."

A 55-year-old woman, who was hit head-on, suffered the worst consequences. She lost both legs in the impact, according to Luca Signorelli, one of the men who tracked down the perpetrator : "While I was trying to help the lady with her legs amputated," Signorelli explained to reporters, "he ran away. So I chased him, and in the meantime, four or five other people followed me. He disappeared behind a pile of cars and then popped out with a knife in his hand. He was mumbling something, but he wasn't Italian. I received two blows, one to the heart and the other to the head. A fight broke out. I managed to avoid one blow, and I caught the other. Then I blocked his wrist. And then I neutralized him ." He was also assisted by other passers-by.

The wounded

There are eight victims, five women and three men. Four are confirmed to be in serious condition. According to reports from Modena's Local Health Authority (AUSL), a 53-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man are hospitalized in serious condition at the Baggiovara hospital in Modena, while a 69-year-old man is in less serious condition. The most serious injury was a 55-year-old woman who was hit head-on by the vehicle, which resulted in her legs being amputated. A 52-year-old man, though serious, is in less serious condition: both are in intensive care . Three other people, a 27-year-old, a 71-year-old, and a 47-year-old, are in non-serious condition at the Modena Polyclinic.

A lone wolf?

It could be the action of a lone wolf, in an international context characterized by high tensions. An unprecedented act in Italy, reminiscent—albeit with fortunately less serious consequences—of the attacks in Nice and Berlin, or even the more recent events in Leipzig.

A conditional sentence is required; we are awaiting further investigations and the results of the searches. At this time, no evidence has emerged that would suggest religious radicalization or ties to subversive groups. However, the profile of severe mental instability does emerge.

In its latest report, intelligence agencies highlighted a heightened level of alert also in relation to the international context, particularly conflicts in the Middle East, which can serve as a factor for radicalization or copycat behavior. Analysts emphasize how high-impact media events can generate imitative behavior, especially among already fragile or vulnerable individuals. This is the case with the individual in question, who previously underwent psychiatric treatment.

In today's incident, the profile that emerges is that of a highly educated individual who sped a car at approximately 100 kilometers per hour in the city center without being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This element echoes other European cases in which the perpetrators had no direct ties to terrorist organizations, but acted independently.

The reactions

Mayor Massimo Mezzetti also rushed to the scene: "We need to understand the nature of this, but it's a tragic act. I'm deeply shocked. Whatever the nature, it's a very serious event. If it were an attack, it would be even more serious."

The political world unanimously condemned him, with Matteo Salvini calling him a "second-generation criminal." The League, in a statement, called for a crackdown on residence permits: "In too many Italian cities, the integration of so-called 'second generations' has failed. Rather than 'ius soli' or easy citizenship, we must pursue with even greater determination the path of revocable residence permits for serious crimes. Certain people are absolutely unintegrable; there's no point in anyone denying the dramatic evidence for ideological reasons."

Sergio Mattarella telephoned the mayor of Modena to inquire about the injured, express his closeness to the city, and "ask him to convey his thanks to those citizens who courageously stopped the culprit," the Quirinale reported.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is closely monitoring the events in Modena and is in constant contact with the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, and the Undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers responsible for the Security of the Republic, Alfredo Mantovano.

The prime minister, who was attending the Europe Gulf Forum in Navarino, Greece, spoke with the mayor of Modena to learn about the incident: "I express my closeness to the injured and their families. I also thank the citizens who courageously intervened to stop the perpetrator and the police for their intervention . I have spoken with the mayor and remain in constant contact with the authorities to follow the developments of the matter. I trust that the person responsible will be fully held accountable for his actions," the prime minister wrote on social media.

(Unioneonline/L)