Italian authorities have confirmed that the car attack in Modena on Saturday, which left eight people injured, was not an act of terrorism. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi stated that the 31-year-old driver, identified as Salim El Koudri, was dealing with mental health issues.
The incident occurred in the historic city of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region. El Koudri, an Italian citizen of Moroccan heritage and an economics graduate born in 1995, drove into a crowd before crashing into a shop window. Four people remain in critical condition, including a 55-year-old woman who suffered leg amputations and is hospitalized at the Ospedale Maggiore in Bologna.
Mental Health History and Investigation
City prefect Fabrizia Triolo revealed that El Koudri had experienced a period of "psychological disturbance" in 2022 and was treated at local mental health centers for schizoid illness. Modena's mayor, Massimo Mezzetti, noted that after treatment, the man "disappeared from the radar" before reappearing in this tragic manner.
Authorities have searched El Koudri's home near Modena, but Italian media reports indicate no evidence of radicalization has been found. The Modena Public Prosecutor's Office has formally arrested him on charges of massacre and aggravated injuries.
Among the injured are a German tourist and a Polish woman, highlighting the incident's cross-border impact. Other victims include a 52-year-old man in intensive care and several others with varying degrees of injury, treated at hospitals in Bologna, Modena, and Baggiovara.
After crashing, El Koudri attempted to flee on foot but was chased and subdued by four passers-by, despite pulling a 20-centimeter knife and injuring one of them. The group held him until police arrived.
Political Reactions and Community Response
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella visited Modena on Sunday. Meloni condemned the attack on social media, thanking citizens who intervened and law enforcement. She expressed confidence that the perpetrator would face full accountability.
However, far-right politicians, including League leader Matteo Salvini, seized on the incident to call for stricter immigration controls, despite El Koudri being an Italian citizen. Salvini labeled him a "second-generation criminal."
Mayor Mezzetti countered such rhetoric, noting that two Egyptian nationals helped stop the attacker. He urged unity against division and hatred, calling for a community gathering in Modena's center. "Foreigners are not all similar to those who committed this act," he said, emphasizing the contributions of many immigrants.
The imam of Ravarino, Abdelmajid Abouelala, told local media he knew El Koudri's father as a hardworking, good person, but had never met the suspect himself.
This incident occurs amid broader European debates on security and migration, as seen in recent discussions on migrant returns policy. The focus remains on the mental health aspects, with authorities continuing their investigation.
