A man with a history of mental disorders deliberately drove his car into a crowd in the Italian city of Modena, leaving a woman needing both legs amputated, prosecutors have confirmed.
Attack Details
Salim El Koudri, 31, rammed into pedestrians in the city center of Emilia Romagna on Sunday, injuring eight people, four of them critically. Among the victims, a 55-year-old woman is in a life-threatening condition at a hospital in Bologna, while two others lost their legs. After exiting his vehicle, El Koudri stabbed a pedestrian, Luca Signorelli, who attempted to stop him from fleeing.
Three other victims—a 27-year-old woman, a 71-year-old woman, and a 51-year-old man—are being treated at Modena's polyclinic with non-serious injuries. Prosecutors stated that El Koudri struck passers-by 'in an indiscriminate, random and deliberate manner.'
Political Reaction
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni canceled a meeting with the Cypriot president in Nicosia to join President Sergio Mattarella on a visit to Modena. She wrote on X: 'I express my solidarity with those who were injured and their families. What happened in Modena is extremely serious. I trust the person responsible will be held fully accountable for his actions.'
Modena's mayor, Massimo Mezzetti, noted that El Koudri had a history of mental instability but cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions. Italy's far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-immigrant League party, highlighted El Koudri's Moroccan heritage and called for migrants who commit crimes to have their resident permits revoked.
Witness Accounts
Dramatic footage captured the moment El Koudri sped down the street in a silver car, mounting the pavement and damaging shop awnings. A witness told Corriere della Sera: 'He was going incredibly fast, definitely over 100 miles per hour.' Mr. Signorelli reported that El Koudri was behaving as if under the influence of alcohol or drugs before the stabbing, but police confirmed the 31-year-old tested negative for both substances.
