Athens shootings: 89-year-old gunman arrested after office, court attacks

An 89-year-old man has been arrested after a series of shootings in Athens left several people injured on Tuesday (April 28), triggering a large-scale manhunt across the country. Police said the suspect was apprehended near Patras, around 130 miles west of the Greek capital, hours after he allegedly opened fire at two separate locations.

The violence began at a social security office in central Athens, where the attacker, armed with a shotgun, entered the building and moved to the fourth floor before opening fire. According to officials, he first told an employee to “duck” before firing, injuring another staff member in the leg. The victim suffered shrapnel wounds and was taken to the hospital, where doctors later confirmed he was out of danger.

Alexandros Varveris, head of the National Social Security Fund, said the attacker appeared to act without targeting a specific individual. “He went in, went up to the fourth floor, raised his shotgun, told an employee to duck and hit another one,” he told ERT radio.

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Police believe the same suspect later carried out a second shooting at a courthouse in Athens, where several more people were wounded. Authorities have not disclosed the exact number of injured, but confirmed that multiple victims were affected in the second incident as well. The motive behind the shootings remains unclear.

Following the attacks, security agencies launched a nationwide manhunt before arresting the suspect near Patras. Local media reported that after the courthouse shooting, the gunman threw envelopes containing documents onto the floor, claiming they explained his actions.

Gun violence remains relatively rare in Greece, where firearm ownership is legal but tightly regulated. Authorities are continuing to investigate the motive and sequence of events.