Who is the man who walked into the crowd in Modena. The film of the attack in which eight people were injured / Announcement of the Prime Minister of Italy
A violent incident took place in northern Italy on Saturday, where a driver deliberately hit several pedestrians in a busy area of Modena. The authorities speak of a “random and deliberate” attack, with the suspect being investigated by prosecutors for “massacre”, the Italian press and the BBC write.
Following the attack in Modena, eight people were injured, four of whom are in serious condition, the authorities announced. Among them are two people whose legs were amputated, and one of them is in critical condition.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the incident as “extremely serious”. She canceled her planned visit to Cyprus and announced that, along with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, she would visit the injured later on Sunday.
Who is the suspect?
The 31-year-old suspect was identified as an Italian citizen of Moroccan origin, born in the province of Bergamo and resident in the province of Modena, according to Italian officials quoted by the BBC.
The man is an economics graduate, unemployed and has no criminal record. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini identified him on the X network as Salim El Koudri.
The prefect of the city of Modena, Fabrizia Triolo, and the mayor Massimo Mezzetti stated that the man had been treated in 2022 for mental health problems, being diagnosed with “schizoid disorders”, after which he “disappeared without a trace” from the authorities' radar.
The prosecutor's office in Modena announced that the man is being investigated for “massacre” and bodily harm, and the investigators are trying to establish the reason for the attack. The prosecutors stated that the suspect hit the pedestrians “indiscriminately, randomly and deliberately”.
Investigators said in a press conference that, following preliminary checks, there are no indications that the suspect was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the attack, according to the Associated Press.
The film of the attack
The incident happened on Saturday at around 16:30 local time, when the car hit pedestrians on Via Emilia, near Modena's iconic cathedral.
The city's mayor, Massimo Mezzetti, said it appeared the driver “entered the sidewalk on purpose, hitting several people and crashing into a shop window.” Before entering the sidewalk in the central area, the car driven by the suspect also hit a cyclist on the route, notes The Mirror.
An eyewitness stated: “I saw the car approaching, it was heading for the kerb.” He added to Italian media: “He accelerated suddenly – he was going at least 100 km/h (62 mph)” and “I saw people thrown into the air.”
After the car stopped hitting a store window, the driver got out of the car with a knife in his hand and tried to run away. Three bystanders tried to stop him, and the suspect stabbed one of them.
Luca Signorelli told Italian media that he was trying to help a woman when he noticed the driver trying to run away. Signorelli chased after him, but the attacker turned towards him with a knife in his hand. Although he was shot in the head and once in the chest, he managed to immobilize the suspect with the help of other passers-by, before the man was arrested by the police.
