Full Breakdown
89-Year-Old Man Arrested After Double Shooting at Athens Social Security Office and Courthouse
4/29/2026, 6:26:45 AM
The Double Shooting in Athens
On 28 April 2026, an 89-year-old man entered the EFKA social-security office in Athens’s Kerameikos district and fired a short-barrelled shotgun, wounding a female employee in the leg. He then moved to the Court of Appeals in Ambelokipi, fired at the floor and lightly injured four female court clerks before fleeing.
Timeline of the Day
The first shot was fired at 10:00 a.m. in the EFKA office, the second at 10:30 a.m. in the courthouse; a manhunt ensued, and the suspect was arrested at 4:30 p.m. in Patras with a loaded .38-calibre revolver.
Key Figures
Key figures include Alexandros Varveris, EFKA head; Stratis Dounias, head of the Athens Judicial Employees Union; the Greek judges-prosecutors association; an unnamed police source; and the suspect’s niece, who identified him. Media described the suspect as a former garbage collector with a 2018 psychiatric hospitalization.
Impact and Security Concerns
The attacks have renewed scrutiny of security in Greek public buildings, especially courts lacking metal-detector checks, and highlighted how pension grievances and mental-health issues can trigger violence in a country where gun crime is rare.
Official Statements & Responses
Varveris said the gunman entered the fourth floor, warned an employee to “duck,” and unintentionally hit another staff member. Dounias reported only slight injuries and that the shooter fired at the floor. Police confirmed the suspect was detained and armed.
Criticism of Court Security
The judges-prosecutors association called the attack “the worst demonstration of missing security measures.” Sotiris Tripolitsiotis said unused X-ray machines and untrained staff left courts unchecked.
On-the-Ground Reports
Security footage captured the suspect walking calmly with the shotgun. An eyewitness told ANA the gunman fired at the floor. Hotel staff in Patras recognized him from TV images and notified police.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on injured count (four vs. five) and on whether a revolver was found. Motive is unclear; a relative cites a denied pension, officials say unknown. Occupation described as garbage or rubbish collector.
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
- “demonstrated in the worst possible way the absence of appropriate security measures” — Greek association of judges and prosecutors
- “Four women working at the small claims court were slightly injured,” — Stratis Dounias, Athens Judicial Employees Union
- “And I, the dog, am now rabid and will go to their offices some day and bite them, so that they also contract rabies,” — Excerpt from the suspect’s letter to newspapers
What’s Next
The government will review court security protocols. Judicial staff have called a one-day strike. Investigators will probe the suspect’s motives, mental-health history, and access-control reforms.
