A driver rammed a car into a crowd of pedestrians on a shopping street in Modena, Italy, on Saturday [1].
The incident occurred in the Largo Porta Bologna area of northern Italy, where the vehicle plowed into people in a busy commercial district [2]. The event has sparked a security investigation as authorities work to determine if the attack was premeditated.
Reports on the number of casualties vary between seven [3] and eight [4] people injured. Some sources indicate that as many as four people were critically injured [5], while other reports state two people are in critical condition [6].
Following the collision, the driver exited the vehicle and attempted to attack others with a knife [7]. Four bystanders intervened and tackled the driver to the ground, preventing further injuries before police arrived [8].
Investigators have not yet determined a motive for the attack. Officials said that terrorism has not been ruled out as a possibility [9].
CCTV footage of the event shows the moment the vehicle accelerated into the pedestrian area [10]. Local authorities have secured the scene in the city center to conduct a forensic analysis of the vehicle, and the surrounding area.
“Terrorism has not been ruled out as a possibility”
The incident in Modena highlights the vulnerability of pedestrian-heavy shopping districts to vehicle-ramming attacks. By treating the event as a potential act of terrorism until proven otherwise, Italian authorities are following a standard security protocol used across Europe to address the threat of lone-actor attacks in urban centers.
