Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the President of the country Sergio Mattarella visited the victims of the attack in Modena today, reports NOS.
On the eve, a 31-year-old man drove his car into a crowd of pedestrians in the northern Italian city. Eight people were injured, some are in serious condition.
Meloni canceled her visit to Cyprus. She called the incident "extremely serious" and thanked the witnesses for their courage in detaining the attacker.
The incident occurred around 4:30 PM at Largo Porta Bologna square in the center of Modena. According to witnesses, the car was traveling at a speed of at least 100 kilometers per hour, and some witnesses claim the speed could have reached 160 kilometers per hour.
According to Ansa news agency, the car was zigzagging, hitting people in its path. Eventually, the car crashed into a shop window, where a woman was trapped. Doctors had to amputate both of her legs.
Four of the injured are in serious condition, and another person also had their legs amputated. One of the victims remains in critical condition.
The newspaper La Stampa quotes the sister of one of the injured men in the hospital. According to her, he was among the first to be hit by the car.
"He remembers everything. He saw people being thrown into the air, and then he himself was thrown onto the road," the woman said.
After the attack, the driver attempted to flee and stabbed another person. Ultimately, he was detained by witnesses, after which the police arrested the man.
Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani proposed to award the people who stopped the attacker with medals for civil courage.
The suspect turned out to be 31-year-old Salim El-Kudri, born in Bergamo and raised in Modena. According to Ansa, at the time of the attack, he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs and had no prior convictions.
The Modena prosecutor's office suspects him of mass attempted murder and causing serious bodily harm with the use of a weapon.
It is reported that the man suffers from mental disorders and schizophrenia. However, the mayor of Modena stated that the suspect was considered "an ordinary young man" and had not previously shown any obvious signs of mental illness.
El-Kudri's family roots are linked to Morocco. After the attack, the leader of the party Matteo Salvini proposed to revoke the residency permits of foreigners committing crimes in Italy.
However, Tajani called this proposal pointless, emphasizing that the suspect is not a foreigner and holds Italian citizenship.
"Special thanks to Luca Signorelli, an Italian who proved to be a hero by stopping the man who crashed his car into pedestrians and stabbed another man," Tajani added. "We must also thank the two foreign citizens who helped to stop him."
Italian authorities continue to investigate, trying to establish all the circumstances of the attack. Meanwhile, the residents of the country are discussing not only the tragedy itself but also the heroism of the witnesses who managed to stop the attacker.
