by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
MODENA, ITALY (Worthy News) – Italian authorities say a man deliberately drove a car into a crowd late Saturday in the northern Italian city of Modena, injuring at least eight people — four of them seriously — in the latest violent vehicle attack in a series of similar incidents across Europe.
Officials said the suspect, born in Bergamo and described by authorities as being of North African descent, had recently moved to the province that includes Modena.
Italian media identified the suspect as El Koudri Salim, a 31-year-old man of Moroccan background born in the Italian city of Bergamo. He reportedly holds an economics degree and was unemployed at the time of the attack.
Modena Mayor Massimo Mezzetti said the driver appeared to deliberately steer onto a sidewalk crowded with pedestrians before crashing into a shop window in the city center. Video footage obtained by Worthy News showed the vehicle driving into people, who were thrown to the ground.
Witnesses said the suspect attempted to flee on foot. Several bystanders managed to stop him, but during the struggle, he allegedly attacked one man with a knife, causing minor injuries, before police detained him, according to video footage seen by Worthy News.
DRIVER INVESTIGATED
Italian Interior Ministry officials said the suspect had reportedly been receiving treatment for psychiatric disorders, though investigators were still examining his motives and had not determined whether terrorism played a role.
Among the injured, four remained in serious condition, while two victims were airlifted to a hospital in nearby Bologna, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Modena, officials said.
“It seems the driver deliberately drove onto the sidewalk, hitting several people,” Mayor Mezzetti told Italian broadcaster RaiNews24.
One witness who was stabbed while helping stop the suspect told Italian media he heard screams and people falling before throwing himself to the ground as the vehicle approached.
“He seemed under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” the witness said, although authorities have not confirmed those claims.
MELONI CONDEMNS ATTACK
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.
“What happened in Modena is extremely serious,” Meloni wrote on social media platform X. “I trust the person responsible will be held fully accountable for his actions.”
Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-immigration League party, highlighted the suspect’s background and referred to him online as a “second-generation criminal.”
The Modena attack comes amid heightened tensions across Europe over migration, border security, and the integration of migrants from mainly Muslim-majority nations, issues increasingly shaping political debate and election campaigns across the continent.
EUROPEAN SECURITY FEARS
European countries have experienced several deadly vehicle-ramming attacks in recent years, some linked to Islamist extremism, others involving suspects with mental health issues or unclear motives.
In Germany earlier this year, a vehicle attack in Munich injured numerous people during a public gathering, while authorities in France, Belgium, and Britain have also faced similar incidents involving cars or vans used against pedestrians.
Italy itself has seen growing political polarization over migration as Meloni’s government pushes for tighter border controls and stricter asylum policies amid continuing migrant arrivals across the Mediterranean.
Several European leaders have warned that uncontrolled migration and failures in integration policies risk increasing social tensions, while critics argue that broadly linking migration to violence unfairly stigmatizes millions of peaceful migrants and refugees.
MIGRATION PRESSURE
Salvini used the Modena incident to renew calls for tougher migration policies, writing that “Italy cannot continue importing insecurity and violence,” while demanding stricter controls and faster deportations for criminal offenders.
Authorities in Modena said the investigation remains ongoing and urged the public not to speculate prematurely about motives until more facts become available.
Police maintained a heavy security presence around the crash site late Saturday as forensic teams continued examining the scene.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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