A man drove his car into a crowd of pedestrians in the city centre of Modena, Italy, on Saturday, injuring multiple people [1, 2].
The incident has sparked an urgent investigation into the attacker's motives, as Italian authorities have not yet ruled out terrorism [5].
Reports indicate that at least eight people were injured in the attack [3], though some accounts suggest the number of victims could be up to 12 [5]. Among the casualties, between two and four people are reported to be in critical condition [6, 7].
Following the vehicle ramming, the suspect exited the car and stabbed at least one person with a knife [2, 5]. The attack ended when four bystanders tackled the man and subdued him until police arrived [2].
The suspect is reported to be either 30 [1] or 31 years old [2]. He is currently in custody as investigators work to determine why he targeted the crowd.
Emergency responders secured the city centre area immediately after the crash. Local officials have not yet released the identity of the driver or the specific nature of the injuries sustained by the victims [6].
“Authorities have not ruled out terrorism”
This incident follows a pattern of low-sophistication vehicle-ramming attacks seen across Europe, which often complicate early investigations due to the ease of executing such acts. The transition from a vehicle attack to a knife attack suggests a deliberate intent to cause maximum casualties, prompting the security services to treat the event as a potential terror threat until a specific motive is established.
