What Happened

At approximately 4:30 PM local time on May 15, 2025, a man drove a car at high speed into pedestrians in the center of Modena, a city in northern Italy southeast of Milan.

According to BBC News, an eyewitness said the car was traveling at least 100 km/h (62 mph) when it mounted the curb. "We saw people flying," the witness told Italian media.

Modena Mayor Massimo Mezzetti told reporters the driver deliberately drove onto the pavement, hit multiple people, and crashed into a shop window. Eight people were injured. Four are in serious condition. One woman reportedly had both her legs crushed by the vehicle.

The Knife Attack

After the crash, the driver got out and pulled a knife.

At least one person who tried to stop him was stabbed — lightly, according to BBC News — before bystanders overpowered the attacker together. Citizens held the man until police arrived. Mayor Mezzetti praised their response publicly.

Fox News reported on both the car attack and the knife attack in its headline framing. AP News and the NYT led primarily with the vehicle ramming, with the stabbing treated as secondary.

Who Is the Suspect

Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini named the suspect on X as Salim El Koudri.

Mayor Mezzetti confirmed the suspect is an Italian national born in Bergamo, quote, "of Maghreb origins," who lives in the province of Modena. He is described as being in his 30s.

BBC News reported that detail. AP News included it. The NYT's available coverage did not name the suspect or mention his background in the excerpt provided.

What the Politicians Said

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the incident "extremely serious," according to BBC News.

Mayor Mezzetti said it would be "even more serious" if it turned out to be premeditated. He's not calling it terrorism yet. But deliberately accelerating to 100 km/h on a pedestrian sidewalk and then exiting with a knife suggests intent.

Investigators have not publicly confirmed a motive as of this writing.

What We Don't Know Yet

No motive has been officially confirmed. Investigators are still working.

Was this terrorism? Islamist-motivated violence? A personal breakdown? A targeted attack on specific individuals? Officials have not disclosed a confirmed motive.

What is established: a man deliberately drove into a crowd at high speed, attempted to stab people when he got out, and is now in police custody.

What This Means

Eight families in Modena are dealing with injuries today. One woman may never walk again.

The citizens who tackled this man and held him for police did something genuinely brave. They didn't wait for someone else to act.

Europe has seen a pattern of vehicle-ramming attacks over the past decade — Nice, Berlin, London, Stockholm, Vienna. Whether this attack fits that pattern is a question investigators need to answer with evidence.