A tragic incident in the Italian city of Modena on Saturday saw a 31-year-old Italian man of Moroccan heritage drive a car into a crowd, injuring eight people. Investigators have swiftly ruled out terrorism as a motive, attributing the event to the driver's history of psychological disturbance. The perpetrator, identified as Salim El Koudri, hit several pedestrians before crashing into a shop window, colliding directly with a woman. Four individuals were reported to be in critical condition following the harrowing incident, according to authorities.

City prefect Fabrizia Triolo revealed that the driver, an economics graduate born in 1995, had undergone treatment for a "schizoid illness" in mental health centers in 2022. "He was under treatment in our mental health centres in 2022 because he had problems with schizoid illness, after which he disappeared from the radar and unfortunately reappeared in this form today in a dramatic and unfortunate way," stated Modena Mayor Massimo Mezzetti. Despite a search of his home near Modena, sources quoted in Italian media indicated that the investigation has found no evidence of the man's radicalization.

Among the eight injured were two foreign citizens: a German tourist and a Polish woman. The injured were transported to various hospitals across Emilia Romagna. A 55-year-old woman, who was crushed against a shop window, is in critical condition at Ospedale Maggiore in Bologna, where her life is in danger and her legs were amputated. Another 52-year-old man is in intensive care at the same hospital, and a second injured man also suffered lower limb amputations after being run over by the car. A 53-year-old woman and a 69-year-old woman were admitted to Baggiovara Hospital in Modena, along with a 69-year-old man whose condition is less severe. Three others – a 27-year-old girl, a 71-year-old woman, and a 47-year-old man – were hospitalized at Policlinico di Modena with minor injuries and are not in serious condition.

Immediately after the crash, El Koudri abandoned his vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. However, he was bravely pursued and cornered by four passers-by. Although he brandished a knife with a 20-centimetre blade, the group managed to immobilize and contain him until the police arrived to take him into custody. The Modena Public Prosecutor's Office has since formalized his arrest on serious charges of massacre and injuries aggravated by the use of a weapon.

The incident drew swift reactions from Italy's highest political figures. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella visited Modena on Sunday. Meloni condemned the attack as "extremely serious" on social media, expressing gratitude to the citizens who "courageously intervened to detain the perpetrator" and to law enforcement. "I trust that the person responsible will answer to the full for his actions," she added.

The event also fueled a political debate on immigration. Some far-right politicians, including the League party (a member of Meloni's governing coalition), called for tighter controls and the revocation of residency permits for immigrants who commit crimes, despite the alleged perpetrator being an Italian citizen. League leader Matteo Salvini controversially referred to El Koudri as a "second-generation criminal." However, Mayor Mezzetti countered this narrative, highlighting that two Egyptian nationals were among those who helped stop the knife-wielding driver. The mayor urged Modena to "unite against those who want to divide and sow hatred" and organized a gathering for a "collective embrace," emphasizing that "foreigners are not all similar to those who committed this act, there are many honest ones who serve our community."

The local Islamic community also expressed their shock. The imam of Ravarino, Abdelmajid Abouelala, told the Gazzetta di Modena that he had never met El Koudri but knew his father to be "a good person, as is the rest of the family. A hard worker, the kind who makes home, work, home. An educated person who I have never heard bad things about." A local Islamic community contact person added, "We are really upset by what happened, ours is a small community, we all know each other. I have also asked friends and volunteers: no one knows Salim."