The phrase “it’s sheer luck we’re still alive” once again flooded social media, echoing the shock and fear triggered by the latest mafia-style shooting that unfolded during Thursday afternoon rush hour (April 21) on one of Chalandri’s busiest avenues — an attack that left one man dead.

Just one day after the killing of Giorgos Moschouris, a well-known figure allegedly tied to the so-called “Greek Mafia“, outside a medical clinic on Palaiologou Avenue, patients and staff who were at the clinic’s entrance during the shooting remain visibly shaken, sharing accounts of their fear and disbelief.

Several bullets shattered the clinic’s reception glass, putting employees in immediate danger. Many are still struggling to process what happened, saying they feel “alive by a miracle.”

“It was rush hour. We had a guardian angel.”

“There were more than 20 people present. It was around 4 p.m.—peak hour for our polyclinic,” said Evi Daga, the clinic’s operations manager, speaking to ERTNews.

“The place was quite crowded. Just minutes earlier, someone had been assisting the young woman at the front desk — the very spot where a bullet eventually landed. As soon as she heard the bang, she yelled ‘They’re shooting at us! Take cover!’ Moments later, a bullet hit the cabinet,” Daga recounted.

“From the first shot, people hid. We had to guide everyone to safety. Patients were waiting for ultrasounds, for other diagnostic tests. There were more staff in the back. More colleagues too,” she added, noting that one bullet even made it into an examination room.

“We had a guardian angel,” she emphasized again.

“It was a time when doctors were actively seeing patients, many appointments were in progress, and there was also a shift change underway among the staff. We were lucky — the ground floor across the street was closed. Had it been open, someone else might have been hit.”

In the chaos, a passing driver also came under fire. One of the bullets lodged in the rear window of her car. Although she escaped physically unharmed, she remains in a state of shock.

Πυροβολισμοί στο Χαλάνδρι έξω από ιατρικό κέντρο. Ένας νεκρός. Πέμπτη 24 Απριλίου 2025 (ΚΩΣΤΑΣ ΤΖΟΥΜΑΣ / EUROKINISSI)

Authorities estimate that at least 30 rounds were fired in the incident — in the heart of a crowded area, in broad daylight.

This isn’t the first time the phrase “it’s sheer luck we’re still alive” has become a collective cry. It first gained emotional resonance in the aftermath of the Tempi rail disaster, which claimed 57 lives and exposed longstanding safety lapses in Greece’s rail network. Since then, it has come to reflect a growing sense of public insecurity.

Concerned citizens are increasingly voicing their unease over the frequency of mafia-style shootings in urban areas, with many drawing unsettling comparisons between present-day Greece and countries known for entrenched organized crime.

Others, reacting with frustration, pointed to a recent statement made by Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrisochoidis during an event at the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime. In his remarks, Chrisochoidis emphasized: “We are strong because we believe in our mission. We are dedicated to it, we serve the law, and we will become even better. That is both our promise and our commitment. Every day, every year, we will grow stronger and more effective — through hard work and results.”

He continued, “We are not afraid of anyone. It is the criminals, the thugs, and the lawbreakers who will fear us — those who thought or still believe that the state is weak.”

Speaking yesterday on Action24 channel Chrisochoidis commented on the incident: “For the past two years, all similar cases have been solved, and I am confident that this one will be quickly and correctly resolved as well, to be referred to the judiciary. The Directorate for Combating Organized Crime has gained experience, know-how, and speed. I am certain that we will have answers to this issue very soon.”