Italy rules out terrorism in Modena crowd ramming case
Kyiv • UNN
In Modena, a driver crashed into a crowd and injured eight people due to mental health issues. Investigators have ruled out a terrorist attack; the assailant was detained by bystanders and the police.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi stated that the 31-year-old man who drove into a crowd in Modena on Saturday is not suspected of terrorism and had mental health issues. This was reported by Euronews, according to UNN.
Details
Investigators have ruled out a terrorist motive after a man drove a car into a crowd in the Italian city of Modena, injuring eight people.
The driver—a 31-year-old Italian citizen of Moroccan origin—struck several people before crashing into a shop window and running over a woman. According to authorities, four of the victims are in critical condition.
The Prefect of Modena, Fabrizia Triolo, told a press conference that the driver, an economics graduate born in 1995 who had no prior police record, had experienced a period of "psychological disorders" in 2022.
"In 2022, he underwent treatment at our mental health centers for schizoid-type issues, after which he disappeared from view and, unfortunately, returned today in such a dramatic and tragic manner,"
A search was conducted at the man's home near Modena; however, Italian media sources reported that the investigation has not yet found any signs of radicalization.
Among the victims are two foreigners—a German tourist vacationing in Italy and a Polish citizen. All the injured were taken to hospitals in the Emilia-Romagna region.
A 55-year-old woman, who was pinned between the car and the shop window, is in a hospital in Bologna. Her condition is critical, and doctors had to amputate her legs.
A 52-year-old man is in the intensive care unit at the same hospital. Another victim who was run over by the car also had his lower limbs amputated.
Immediately after the collision with the storefront, the driver, identified as Salim El Khoudri, fled the vehicle and attempted to escape on foot.
He was pursued and cornered by four bystanders, after which the man pulled out a knife and wounded one of them.
Despite the 31-year-old attacker being armed with a knife featuring a 20-centimeter blade, the people managed to hold him until the police arrived.
The Modena Prosecutor's Office has officially authorized the arrest of the attacker on serious charges of attempted mass murder and inflicting bodily harm with a weapon.
Car drives into crowd in Italy, at least seven people injured16.05.26, 20:24 • 7918 views