An 89-year-old man carried out two separate shootings in central Athens on Tuesday, April 28, injuring five people and then evading police despite a major manhunt underway.
The suspect, described as a scrap collector with reported psychological issues, first opened fire inside a building housing services of EFKA — Greece’s main social security agency — in Kerameikos at around 10:30 a.m. He entered the building armed with a shotgun, went up to the fourth floor and began shooting inside the registry department, wounding an employee in the leg and causing panic among staff and visitors.
Emergency responders who arrived at the scene provided first aid, applying a tourniquet to control bleeding before the injured employee was transported by ambulance to the hospital. Doctors later said his injuries were not life-threatening.
According to authorities, the suspect then fled the scene and is believed to have taken a taxi, traveling about 5 kilometers to Loukareos Street in central Athens, where he carried out a second attack at the Athens Magistrates’ Court, part of the wider court complex. There, he opened fire again at the ground floor, injuring four people, reportedly judicial employees. Initial reports indicate they sustained superficial injuries to the lower limbs, likely from shotgun pellets, and are in good condition.
During the incidents, the gunman was reportedly wearing a blue trench coat, under which he concealed the shotgun. After the second attack, he abandoned the weapon at the scene and disappeared.
According to media reports the suspect left behind three envelopes, shouting, “Here is the reason I did what I did,” though their contents have not yet been made public.
Despite a large-scale police response, road closures and an extensive search operation, the suspect — who has been identified and described as tall and thin — remains at large hours after the attacks. Police have released his description and photographic material as part of the ongoing manhunt.
According to Alexandros Varveris, speaking to national radio, the suspect appeared to be in a disturbed state and the shooting inside the EFKA office may not have been deliberate. “The motive remains unclear,” Varveris said, adding that it has not been confirmed whether the attack was directly related to EFKA.
Authorities are investigating how the suspect managed to move between the two locations and carry out the second attack even as a police manhunt was underway. The motive was not immediately clear.
