ROME (AP) — Italy’s interior minister said Monday that a car-ramming and stabbing attack in the northern city of Modena by an Italian citizen of Moroccan descent highlights the challenges around integration and social distress.
Eight people were wounded, four critically, when the 31-year-old man drove into pedestrians Saturday before crashing into a shop window.
Despite ruling out terrorism, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said it cannot be dismissed as an isolated incident. He said investigators must still fully examine the factors behind the attack, suggesting social marginalization and perceived discrimination might have played a role.
His comments came as some Italian politicians seized on the attack to voice xenophobic rhetoric, and also renewed focus on so-called second-generation Italians — people born or raised in Italy to foreign parents — who are often at the center of debates over identity, citizenship and integration.
“At this stage, there are no elements that correspond to the classic profile of a terrorist who plans violent actions,” Piantedosi said in an interview with daily Il Giornale, noting the man's mental health concerns and social distress. “But all this cannot lead us to dismiss the attack as the act of an isolated madman.”
Italian authorities said the suspect, identified as Salim El Koudri, attempted to flee and slightly wounded a bystander with a knife before being overpowered by passersby and detained by police. Prosecutors arrested him on charges including massacre and aggravated injury. A court hearing on whether to validate his detention was postponed to Tuesday morning.
The suspect, born in Italy and university-educated, had been diagnosed with a personality disorder and had shown frustration over his work and social condition, local authorities said. They said the man underwent treatment in 2022 for what officials described as a schizoid disorder before dropping out of care.
Still, the case has fueled political debate in Italy, where controlling and limiting migration is a key priority in Premier Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing agenda.
Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-migrant League, referred to the suspect as a “second-generation criminal” in a social post, renewing calls for stricter migration measures.
Opposition politicians criticized the government for seeking to use this case to toughen immigration rules.
“Even before the responsibilities and circumstances surrounding the incident had emerged, the deputy premier (Salvini) transformed a dramatic episode into an anti-immigrant rally,” said Carlo Calenda, leader of opposition party Azione.
Piantedosi, however, sought to draw a distinction between the Modena attack and the government’s migration policies, stressing the suspect’s Italian citizenship — while noting that doesn't guarantee successful integration.
He highlighted an email El Koudri sent to his university containing insulting language against Christians before later apologizing, suggesting possible resentment linked to perceived discrimination.
“He may have been driven by resentment linked to a sense of having suffered discrimination,” Piantedosi said, cautioning that investigators are still working to establish the full motive of the attack. He said the incident raises “profound questions” about integration, identity and marginalization, particularly among some second-generation immigrants.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stressed on Sunday that the man is an Italian citizen, not a migrant. He was expected to travel to Modena later Monday to visit the wounded.
Under Italy’s citizenship system, many are not automatically recognized as Italian at birth and may have to apply later in life. They may also face pressures linked to integration, including challenges in education, employment and social inclusion, despite growing up in Italy.
Modena Mayor Massimo Mezzetti called generalizations about foreigners “nonsense,” noting that two Egyptian migrants were among those who helped stop the attacker.
Thousands of residents gathered in Modena’s central Piazza Grande over the weekend in a show of solidarity with the victims.
A woman remains in life-threatening condition after the crash, while other victims also sustained severe injuries, officials said.
Financial Police patrol a scene after a car incident in a street of Modena, Italy, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Lapresse via AP)
Blood is seen next to a destroyed car on a street of Modena, Italy, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Lapresse via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics within the Republican Party, faces a tough primary challenge Tuesday in Kentucky’s state primary. It’s the latest example this primary season of the president trying to purge the party of Republicans he perceives as disloyal.
Kentucky voters will also pick nominees for U.S. Senate, five other U.S. House seats and the state General Assembly. Voters in Louisville will winnow down a crowded field for mayor.
The Commonwealth’s marquee race on Tuesday is in the 4th Congressional District, where Massie seeks the GOP nomination for an 8th full term. His opponent is Ed Gallrein, a farmer and former Navy SEAL who entered the race at Trump’s urging.
Massie is the rare Republican in Washington who has clashed with Trump on his key domestic and foreign policy initiatives, opposing both his signature tax package and the war with Iran. He has also been a leader in Congress of the effort to release the files of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Massie has a fundraising advantage, but Gallrein has remained competitive. The incumbent more than doubled his opponent’s spending over the course of the campaign, but the two began the month on comparable footing in terms of funds in the bank.
The 4th Congressional District in northern Kentucky stretches along the Ohio River and shares a border with Indiana and Ohio. Trump received about 67% of the district vote in the 2024 general election, carrying all 21 counties with at least 59% of the vote. Massie ran unopposed in 2024 and received 65% of the vote in his 2022 reelection bid. Although Massie also carried every county in 2022, Trump outperformed him two years later in all but two counties.
In the U.S. Senate primaries, nearly 20 candidates are competing to succeed longtime GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is retiring after seven terms. Among the 11 candidates for the Republican nomination are U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, who has Trump’s endorsement, and former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a former McConnell aide who has criticized his ex-boss on the campaign trail.
Seven candidates seek the Democratic nomination, including former state Rep. Charles Booker, military veteran and 2020 U.S. Senate nominee Amy McGrath and state House Minority Leader Pamela Stevenson.
In Louisville, Mayor Craig Greenberg is running for a second term against 10 other candidates. The top two vote-getters in the nonpartisan primary will advance to the general election.
Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:
Polls close at 6 p.m. local time, which is 6 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. ET. Polls in most of Kentucky are in Eastern time and close at 6 p.m. ET, but polls in the Central Time Zone close at 7 p.m. ET.
The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. Senate, U.S. House and Louisville mayor.
Only voters registered with a political party may participate in that party’s primary. Democrats may not vote in the Republican primary or vice versa. Independent or unaffiliated voters may not participate in either primary.
As of April 24, there were about 3.4 million registered voters in Kentucky, including about 1.6 million registered Republicans and about 1.4 million registered Democrats.
In the 2022 primaries for U.S. Senate, about 386,000 votes were cast in the Republican primary and about 292,000 in the Democratic primary.
About 21% of the Democratic vote and about 17% of the Republican vote in the 2023 state primaries was cast before primary day.
As of Wednesday, about 27,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election, including about 14,000 from Republicans and about 12,000 from Democrats.
Vote release practices vary from county to county. Results from early and absentee voting tend to be released from medium-to-large sized counties as part of the first vote update, usually before any in-person Election Day results are released.
In the 2024 primary, the AP first reported results at 6:06 p.m. ET, or 6 minutes after polls closed in most of the state. The last vote update of the night was at 9:47 p.m. ET with more than 99.9% of total votes counted.
The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
Kentucky requires an automatic recount for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state General Assembly and nearly all statewide offices if the vote margin is 0.5% of the total vote or less. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.
As of Tuesday, there will be 168 days until the 2026 midterm elections.
Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.
FILE - Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks at an event, Aug. 2, 2025, in Fancy Farm, Ky. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)
Republican Kentucky candidates for U.S. Senate Daniel Cameron and Andy Barr shake hands during the Kenton County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Covington, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Republican congressional candidate for Kentucky, Ed Gallrein, stands for a portrait during the Kenton County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Covington, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-KY, speaks to reporters after a Kentucky Educational Television (KET) debate, Monday, May 4, 2026, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
