Overview
- Police detained the 22-year-old between Reggio Emilia and Bologna after a tip led officers to find him walking alone the evening of Monday, May 25, and a judge ordered pre-trial detention at the prosecutors' request.
- Investigators say he intended to enter the city center armed with a knife to attack people during events that had filled the streets, and authorities say the arrest prevented that planned violence.
- Records show he was monitored from 2024 after an arrest in Germany, was expelled and returned to Italy in January, and was placed in a local mental‑health and social assistance program that was later halted.
- Prosecutors report digital evidence linking the suspect's phone to chats that discussed plotting attacks and alleged contacts with a presumed Daesh supporter who offered money, training and guidance.
- Reggio Emilia and Bologna prosecutors are coordinating a continuing inquiry that will examine the seized devices, the role of external contacts and whether changes are needed to how monitored cases receive social and medical support.