Man, 89, suspected of rampaging through Athens with shotgun arrested after six-hour manhunt

WorldPolitics
29 Apr 2026 • 12:46 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Man, 89, suspected of rampaging through Athens with shotgun arrested after six-hour manhunt

  • An 89-year-old man was arrested in Patra, over 200km from Athens, following a six-hour manhunt after he allegedly rampaged through the capital with a shotgun.
  • The suspect, identified as a former garbage collector, was apprehended carrying a loaded .38 revolver at a hotel.
  • He reportedly opened fire at a National Social Security Fund (EFKA) office, wounding one employee, before proceeding to a courthouse where three female employees were slightly injured by ricocheting pellets.
  • Police are investigating the motive, but local reports suggest the man had lost a court case concerning his pension, which he had applied for after receiving pensions from the US and Germany.
  • A relative identified the suspect during the second shooting, informing authorities he had previously been hospitalised in a psychiatric facility, and police sources indicate the attacks were planned in advance.

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