Greek Police Arrest 89-Year-Old Man After Shootings in Athens Wound at Least Four

The suspect then traveled to a courthouse in the Ambelokipi area, where he fired again, injuring three more people with ricocheting pellets. Police reported that the man left envelopes with documents at the courthouse, stating they explained his actions. Authorities recovered a shotgun at the courthouse and found a second weapon during the arrest.

The suspect was apprehended in a hotel near Patra, about 210 kilometers west of Athens, following a large-scale manhunt. Local media identified him as a former rubbish collector from the Athens area with a history of treatment at a mental hospital in 2018.

The motive remains unclear, and police have not released further details on the documents left behind. " — Alexandros Varveris, head of the National Social Security Fund, April 28, 2026 (ERT radio).

The injured at the social security office received on-site treatment from police, including a tourniquet applied to the leg wound, before hospital transport. At the courthouse, three female court employees sustained slight wounds from shotgun pellets, and a fourth was hospitalized without physical injuries.

Athens court staff announced a 24-hour strike on April 29, 2026, citing inadequate security at court buildings. " — Stratis Dounias, head of the Athens Judicial Employees Union, April 28, 2026 (news reports).

Gun violence is rare in Greece, where firearm ownership is permitted but subject to strict regulations. Security camera footage from a nearby store showed the suspect walking calmly with the shotgun after the first incident. The suspect reportedly fled the social security office and took a taxi to the courthouse.