An 85-year-old man was arrested Thursday after allegedly brandishing a gun and aiming it at students during recess at a public middle school in Renti, an area near Athens.
Police launched an operation at the scene and arrested the man. No gunshots were reported and no injuries were immediately confirmed. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether the weapon was real or an air gun, as initially reported.
What happened
According to school officials and students, the incident occurred around midday while children were in the courtyard. The suspect, who has reportedly lived for many years in an apartment adjacent to the school, appeared outside holding what witnesses described as a gun. It is unclear whether the gun was real.
Students told school staff that the man pointed the gun toward them, causing panic. However, they said they did not hear any shots fired.
Police later searched the man’s residence but did not locate the weapon at the time of the initial investigation.
School official: “The children panicked”
The school’s deputy principal said students alerted staff after seeing the man brandish the gun.
“Our children were in the courtyard and at some point they notified us that a gentleman had pulled out a gun and threatened them,” she said. “He told me it was fake. I immediately went into his space, spoke to him, and he showed it to me, saying, ‘It’s fake, it’s nothing, I just wanted to scare the children.’”
She said police were called immediately and remained at the school conducting an investigation.
“I don’t know whether the weapon was real or not. I’m confused,” she added. “From a distance of 10 meters, you cannot tell whether a gun is real or fake. The children panicked and ran.”
The deputy principal said the man claimed he was bothered by students shouting at him and threatening him. At that moment, she said, he took the gun out of his pocket and appeared to aim it at the children.
The incident caused significant disruption at the school, though no shots were heard.
Students describe fear and confusion
Students said they were inside the school preparing a banner to commemorate the Tempi railway disaster when the alarm was raised.
“I heard a girl shout ‘gun,’” one student said. “I stood up because I’m one year older than the others and saw an elderly man coming out of the house. The children were running, but I tried to stay calm and talk to him. I didn’t know if the gun was real or fake, but I tried to calm him down. He was swearing at me.”
Another student said she saw the man aiming at her classmates.
“We were making a banner for Tempi, and suddenly I saw all the children running. I turned and saw this man holding a gun and pointing it at them,” she said. “We hadn’t thrown anything at him. Some children threw something, but it stayed inside the school grounds and was not directed at him.”
