Full Breakdown
Elderly Gunman Shoots Social Security Office and Courthouse in Athens, Wounding Several; Arrested Near Patra
4/28/2026, 10:54:04 PM
Athens Shooting Spree: Two Sites Targeted
On Tuesday an 89-year-old gunman entered the National Social Security Fund (EFKA) office in the Kerameikos district of central Athens, brandishing a short-barreled shotgun concealed beneath a trench coat. He ordered an employee to duck, fired, and wounded a staff member’s leg on the fourth floor. After leaving the building, security footage showed him crossing the street calmly with the weapon in hand. He later entered a nearby courthouse, opened fire on the ground floor, and injured three female court employees with ricocheting pellets; a fourth employee was taken to hospital without physical injury. Police located the suspect near Patra, about 210 km (130 mi) west of Athens, and placed him under arrest.
Background & Context
Gun violence is uncommon in Greece; firearms are legally permitted but subject to strict regulation. The rarity of an elderly individual executing coordinated attacks on two public facilities amplified public shock.
Key Figures & Groups
- Suspect – Unnamed 89-year-old male, armed with a short-barreled shotgun.
- Alexandros Varveris – Head of EFKA, who described the shooter’s actions inside the social-security office.
- Stratis Dounias – Head of the Athens Judicial Employees Union, who provided early details on the courthouse shooting.
- Greek police – Conducted the citywide search and effected the arrest near Patra.
Timeline
1. Morning – Shooter enters EFKA office, orders an employee to duck, fires, wounding a staff member.
2. Shortly after – Leaves the office; security video captures him walking across the street with the shotgun visible.
3. Later – Fires on the ground floor of a central Athens courthouse, injuring three court employees; a fourth is transported without injuries.
4. Afternoon – Police launch a manhunt; the suspect is apprehended near Patra.
Data & Statistics
- Weapon: Short-barreled shotgun hidden under a trench coat.
- Wounded: At least four people – one EFKA employee (leg injury) and three female court employees (pellet wounds); a fourth court employee taken to hospital without physical injury.
- Arrest distance: Approximately 210 km (130 mi) west of Athens.
Official Statements & Responses
Varveris told state broadcaster ERT that the shooter entered the fourth floor, told an employee to duck, and unintentionally hit another staff member. Dounias reported that initial information indicated the gunman fired at the floor inside a court office. Police confirmed the suspect’s arrest near Patra and emphasized that the motive remains under investigation.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact count of injured parties: some describe the fourth court employee as wounded, others as unharmed. The contents of the envelopes left at the courthouse and the shooter’s stated reasons have not been disclosed, leaving the motive ambiguous.
Verbatim Quotes
- “He went in, went up to the fourth floor, raised his shotgun, told an employee to duck and hit another one,” — Alexandros Varveris, EFKA head
- “The head of the Athens Judicial Employees Union, Stratis Dounias, said that initial information indicated that the man had shot at the floor inside one of the offices in the court building.” — Stratis Dounias, Athens Judicial Employees Union head
- “Gun violence is relatively rare in Greece, where firearm ownership is allowed but tightly regulated.” — Contextual observation (source summary)
- “He went in, went up to the fourth floor, raised his shotgun, told an employee to duck, and hit another one,” — Alexandros Varveris, EFKA head
Why It Matters / Impact
The attacks challenge Greece’s perception of public safety and expose potential security gaps at government facilities. They also raise questions about how an elderly individual obtained and concealed a prohibited firearm.
What’s Next
Authorities will analyze forensic evidence from the shotgun, review the documents left at the courthouse, and pursue legal proceedings against the suspect. Police have indicated that the investigation remains open pending further evidence.
