The Shot That Echoed Through Kerameikos
The fourth-floor office of the National Social Security Fund in Kerameikos had just opened when the gunman entered. Alexandros Varveris, head of the fund known as EFKA, told state broadcaster ERT that the man called out to an employee, instructing her to duck before firing. The shot struck another worker in the leg. Security camera footage later aired by local media showed the same man—identified by police as 89 years old—walking across a nearby street with what appeared to be a short-barreled shotgun in his right hand, the weapon hidden from view.
Police arrived within minutes, applying a tourniquet to the wounded employee before transporting him to a hospital. The gunman had already fled the scene. Varveris emphasized that the victim did not appear to have been specifically targeted. He went in, went up to the fourth floor, raised his shotgun, told an employee to duck and hit another one,
he said. The incident unfolded quickly, but its impact extended beyond the immediate aftermath, prompting questions about security and motive.
Ricochets in the Courthouse
Less than an hour later, the same suspect appeared at a courthouse in another part of central Athens. Stratis Dounias, head of the Athens Judicial Employees Union, said the man opened fire on the ground floor, discharging the weapon inside one of the offices. The blast wounded at least three female court employees. Television footage showed ambulance crews rushing the injured to waiting vehicles, while a fourth employee was transported to a hospital despite no visible physical injuries, according to emergency responders.
By the time police secured the courthouse, the gunman had left behind a series of envelopes. State broadcaster ERT reported that these contained documents the suspect claimed were the reasons for his actions. Authorities have not disclosed the contents, but the act of leaving them behind indicated an effort to communicate a message rather than commit a spontaneous crime. The shotgun used in both attacks was later recovered, though police have not specified how the 89-year-old obtained it or whether it was legally registered.
For more on this story, see Teotihuacan gunman kills Canadian woman, wounds 13 at Pyramid of the Moon.
The Envelopes Left Behind
The discovery of the envelopes at the courthouse has become a focal point in an otherwise unclear case. Greek law enforcement sources told AP that the documents were addressed to unspecified recipients, though their exact nature remains under wraps. The fact that the gunman took the time to leave them—rather than fleeing the scene—suggests premeditation, though the specific grievances behind his actions have not been revealed.
Greece’s gun laws are among the strictest in Europe, with civilian ownership tightly regulated. Shotguns require permits, background checks, and regular renewals. How an 89-year-old man came to possess one—and why he chose to use it in two state institutions—has raised questions about both regulatory oversight and the factors that may have contributed to his actions. Varveris, the EFKA head, noted that the suspect did not appear to target anyone in particular during the first attack, but the choice of locations—a social security office and a courthouse—suggests a possible connection to broader frustrations with public institutions.
Public trust in Greek institutions has faced challenges in recent years, particularly following economic difficulties that led to reforms and public debate over state services. The National Social Security Fund, in particular, has been a subject of criticism, with pensioners and public sector employees expressing concerns about changes to benefits. Whether the gunman’s actions were tied to such grievances—or to personal circumstances—remains under investigation.
This follows our earlier report, Gunman kills Canadian, wounds 13 at Teotihuacán Pyramid of the Moon before suicide.
A City Unaccustomed to Gunfire
Athens is not a city where gun violence occurs frequently. While petty crime and occasional protests occasionally disrupt daily life, incidents involving firearms are rare. The sight of ambulances rushing through the streets near the courthouse, or the grainy security footage of a man carrying a shotgun in broad daylight, has unsettled residents. Police have not indicated whether they believe the suspect acted alone or if others may have been involved in any capacity.
The arrest near Patra, some 210 kilometers west of Athens, came hours after the shootings. Authorities have not released details about how the suspect traveled there or whether he intended to continue his actions. What is clear is that the violence has highlighted vulnerabilities in a system that many Greeks already viewed with skepticism. The social security office and the courthouse are institutions where citizens interact with state bureaucracy, and where frustrations—whether justified or not—can accumulate.
As investigators examine the documents left at the courthouse, the question remains: Was this the act of an individual driven by personal despair, or an attempt to draw attention to perceived injustices? The answer may never be fully understood. But the fact that an 89-year-old—an age more commonly associated with retirement than violent acts—could enter two government buildings and open fire has left Athens confronting an unsettling reality: even in a city where such violence is uncommon, the conditions that enable it can emerge unexpectedly.
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