Greek police have arrested a 22-year-old man suspected of carrying out a brazen shooting at a café in the northwest Athens district of Kolonos, an attack that left two people injured — including an off-duty police officer.
The incident, which occurred on July 13, is now believed to have been ordered from inside a Greek prison by a 34-year-old Turkish national already serving time. According to investigators, the detainee is the same individual convicted for what was for the worst instance of violence attributed to Turkish criminal networks, a”contract killing” of six Turkish nationals in 2023.
In October 2023, the bodies of six Turkish men were found inside a car in a semi-rural area of the Artemida township, east of Athens proper. A 32-year-old Turkish national, was later arrested and charged with planning and executing a “contract killing” after misleading the victims into believing he was working to smuggle them to Italy.
Attack Timeline
According to police, the shooting occurred when the 48-year-old Turkish victim was exiting a local café in Kolonos. The suspect approached and opened fire, prompting the man to retreat inside the cafe in an attempt to shield himself. Both the target and a 40-year-old off-duty police officer inside the café sustained leg injuries in the hail of bullets.
Authorities have now arrested two individuals in connection with the café shooting: the 22-year-old alleged gunman and another person accused of complicity and incitement. A third person is also named in the case file, which includes charges of multiple attempted homicides, illegal weapons use, and criminal conspiracy.
Arrest and Evidence
The 22-year-old was apprehended on July 17 after being spotted leaving an apartment building in central Athens. A search of his residence uncovered a loaded pistol with 15 rounds, an additional 30 rounds of ammunition, a spare magazine, a mobile phone, and documents containing instructions for using GPS vehicle tracking devices.
Ballistic testing confirmed that four shell casings and a bullet recovered from the crime scene matched the confiscated weapon.
The 22-year old’s confiscated weapon.
The suspect has since been brought before the public prosecutor to face formal charges.
