Gunman opens fire in Athens, several injured; 89-year-old suspect on run

Several people have been wounded after a gunman opened fire at a social security office and a courthouse in central Athens, Greece, on Tuesday (April 28, 2026), Greek officials said. Meanwhile, a police operation was underway to find the gunman, who is believed to be 89 years old.

The attacker, armed with a shotgun, launched a fire at a social security office initially in the centre of the Greek capital, and wounded an employee. Following the attack, the injured man suffered shrapnel wounds to his legs and was rushed to the hospital. Later found to be out of danger, local media reported.

The gunman went up to the fourth floor to attack

Alexandros Varveris, head of the National Social Security Fund, said the gunman went up to the fourth floor of the organisation’s offices in the Kerameikos area of central Athens and opened fire after telling an employee to “duck.”

He added that the shot struck another staff member, injuring them in the leg. "He went in, went up to the fourth floor, raised his shotgun, told an employee to duck and hit another one," Varveris told ERT radio. He added that there was no indication the victim had been specifically targeted.

Police said the same suspect is believed to have later fired shots on the ground floor of a courthouse in Athens, where several more people were wounded. The motive remains unclear. Witnesses described the attacker as tall and thin, wearing a blue trench coat that concealed his weapon.

Local media reported that after the courthouse shooting, the gunman threw envelopes containing documents onto the floor, claiming they explained his actions. Gun violence is relatively uncommon in Greece, where firearm ownership is permitted but strictly regulated.

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