An 89-year-old gunman is on the run after a shooting spree in central Athens that left several people wounded. The suspect opened fire at a social security office and a courthouse, prompting a major police operation to locate him.
Shooting at Social Security Office
The gunman, identified by Greek media as an elderly man, first targeted a social security office in the Kerameikos area of central Athens. Armed with a shotgun hidden under a trenchcoat, he entered the building and went to the fourth floor. According to Alexandros Varveris, head of the National Social Security Fund EFKA, the gunman called out to an employee to duck before firing, hitting another worker in the leg. Police applied a tourniquet at the scene, and the wounded man was taken to hospital.
Courthouse Attack
Shortly after, the same suspect is believed to have opened fire on the ground floor of a court building in Athens, wounding several more people. State broadcaster ERT News showed footage of ambulance crews transporting at least three individuals from the courthouse to ambulances. ERT reported that the gunman threw envelopes containing documents onto the floor after the shooting, indicating those were the reasons for his actions.
Police Search Underway
Police are actively searching for the gunman, whose motive remains unclear. Gun violence is relatively rare in Greece, where firearm ownership is allowed but tightly regulated. Authorities have not released further details about the suspect or the victims.
This is a developing story. More updates will follow as information becomes available.
