Passengers Tackle Hammer-Wielding Man Who Set Milan Airport Check-In Ablaze – View from the Wing
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Passengers Tackle Hammer-Wielding Man Who Set Milan Airport Check-In Ablaze
A man started swinging a hammer at the desks and monitors at Milan Malpensa airport terminal 1 just before 11 a.m. local time. Some bystanders thought they heard shots, which were the hammer blows on metal. Fire response evacuated the area, and border police took the man in his mid-to-late 20s into custody after airport staff and a few passengers brought him down. The suspect is Malian origin, and faces aggravated damage charges.
Smoke pushed across the hall. Fire response evacuated the area, and border police took the man in his mid-to-late 20s into custody after airport staff and a few passengers brought him down. The suspect is Malian origin, and faces aggravated damage charges.
Man armed with a hammer sets fire to check in desk at Italy’s, Malepensa Milan airport
Italian media reports the man is from Mali and has subsidiary international protection until 2027. pic.twitter.com/dHOsUcWMVo — Uncensored News (@Uncensorednewsw) August 20, 2025
Some coverage says he used a flammable liquid, which would be consistent with how fast the flames jump in the clips, but this is not confirmed.
No passenger injuries were reported. The terminal was evacuated for smoke only, then reopened while airlines continued processing passengers with modest delays.
@AmericanAir PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON AT MXP !! No communication is the worst!!! pic.twitter.com/qNPp1FCkJf — TennisRose (@SwimmerOnce) August 20, 2025
.@AmericanAir We are stuck in Italy at check in. There was a fire. We board in 15 minutes. We need something done. pic.twitter.com/5p4xo3iCur — Clara gyomory (@vbclaragyomory) August 20, 2025
We’ve seen attacks at airports prior to security in places like Brussels, Istanbul and LAX. A hammer never sees a checkpoint if you’re not airside, and a splash of accelerant turns any bin into a torch. In fact, long security lines create stable targets for attack. It’s unclear the motivation for today attack.