A small rural community in western Greece is reeling after the killing of a 50-year-old village president in what investigators describe as the violent culmination of a long-simmering personal dispute rooted in romantic rivalry.

The shooting occurred Saturday morning, Jan. 17, 2026, near the village of Mesarista in the Makryneia area, part of the Aitoloakarnania regional unit. The victim, a well-known local official and lifelong resident, was fatally shot three times while inside his vehicle. A 44-year-old man, described as a former friend and apparent love rival, was arrested hours later at his home.

A community in shock

Residents of Mesarista and the nearby village of Lithovouni have been struggling to process how a relationship that dated back to adolescence ended in bloodshed. The two men had grown up together and were known to maintain friendly ties for years before tensions escalated.

Local media report an atmosphere of silent anger and disbelief, as neighbors grapple with the idea that a personal dispute could spiral into deadly violence.

A love triangle and months of tension

According to witness accounts cited by Greek media, the conflict centered on a romantic relationship. About a year and a half ago, the suspect allegedly became involved with the victim’s wife, prompting her to leave the family home and move to the city of Patras with the couple’s child.

Roughly eight months before the killing, the woman reconciled with her husband and returned home. Despite the reconciliation, relations between the two men reportedly remained volatile, marked by frequent arguments and alleged threats.

It remains unclear whether the suspect continued to have contact with the woman after her return. However, his presence in Lithovouni on the Friday before the killing reportedly angered the victim, who was said to have issued fresh threats that later reached the suspect.

The final encounter

Investigators are examining how the two men came to meet on the day of the shooting. One scenario under review is that they had arranged to meet. Another suggests the victim followed the suspect after spotting him driving past a village café. Both men were known to keep hunting shotguns in their vehicles, a common practice in rural areas.

Under circumstances that remain under investigation, the 44-year-old fired three shots. After being struck, the victim lost control of his car, which traveled several dozen yards before coming to rest in a nearby olive grove, where he died.

Suspect claims self-defense

After the shooting, the suspect drove back to his home, where he was arrested by police. He reportedly told officers that he acted in self-defense, claiming he saw the victim aiming a shotgun at him and fired first. “It was either him or me,” he is said to have told investigators.

Authorities, however, appear skeptical of this account. Police have confirmed that at least two of the shots struck the victim’s vehicle from behind, a detail that does not easily align with a self-defense claim.

According to preliminary findings, the suspect appears to have stopped his vehicle first and then fired as the victim arrived. One shot reportedly hit the windshield, causing the car to veer off the road, followed by two more shots to the rear of the vehicle.

Police are continuing to gather evidence, including the expected lifting of phone privacy records to determine who the suspect may have contacted before and after the killing.