An Italian man of Moroccan descent plowed his car into pedestrians in Modena, Italy, late Saturday afternoon before leaping out and brandishing a knife. Four passersby tackled and detained him, though one of them sustained minor stab wounds, until security forces arrived.

31-year-old Salim El Koudri had a degree in business, was unemployed, had no criminal record and had been treated at a psychiatric center in 2024. This appears to be a lone wolf attack and is being investigated as a possible terror attack, as the man may have recently been radicalized as a jihadist.

Seven people were injured, some very seriously. Two of the victims had to have their legs amputated, one of whom remains in critical condition.

“The madman, I don’t know what to call him, the criminal who committed this act, he got out of the car brandishing a knife,” Mayor Massimo Mezzetti said. “Four citizens, whom I thank, captured him and handed him over to law enforcement.”

“I want to thank these citizens,” he added. “The man was also armed with a knife; they showed courage and great civic sense. My deepest thanks go to them in this dramatic moment.”

The man who was stabbed described his encounter with the attacker, saying he had been helping an injured woman when he saw the attacker trying to flee.

“I chased him,” Luca Signorelli said, adding that several others joined the pursuit. “He disappeared behind a row of cars, then suddenly reappeared holding a knife in his hands.”

“A fight broke out,” he said. “I was stabbed twice, once in the heart and once in the head. I managed to dodge one of the two, and during the other one I grabbed his wrist and blocked him.”

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni cut short a visit to Greece due to the seriousness of the attack and is scheduled to travel to Modena Sunday.

“I express my closeness to the injured people and their families,” she said in a statement. “I also extend thanks to the citizens who courageously intervened to stop the perpetrator and to the law enforcement agencies for their response.”

“I have spoken with the Mayor and remain in constant contact with the authorities to follow the developments of the situation,” she added. “I trust that the perpetrator will be held fully accountable for his actions.”

Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, expressed his empathy to Antonio Tajani, Italy’s foreign minister, in a post on X.

“I was shocked to learn of the vile attack that took place in Modena, Italy, in which civilians were run over and stabbed,” the post, which was written in Italian and was addressed to Tajani, read.

“I wish to express my solidarity to the Italian government and to the families of the victims in this difficult time, and to wish a speedy recovery to all those who have been struck by this terrible event,” the statement added.