Athens Horror: 89-year-old ‘garbage Collector’ Shoots 5; Letters Found At Courthouse

2 min readApr 28, 2026 08:16 PM IST

An elderly gunman, reportedly aged 89, wounded five people in two separate shooting incidents in central Athens on Tuesday before fleeing the scene, according to police statements and media reports.

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The suspect first opened fire at a branch of Greece’s social security agency, known as EFKA, in the Kerameikos area. The police said one employee was shot in the leg during the attack.

According to Alexandros Varveris, head of the National Social Security Fund, the gunman had gone to the fourth floor of the building and fired after instructing an employee to duck, the AP reported. The shot struck another worker instead. Police officers who arrived at the scene administered first aid, including a tourniquet, before the injured man was transported to a hospital, the report further said.

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Following the initial shooting, the suspect reportedly took a taxi to a courthouse in another part of central Athens, where he fired multiple shots inside the building, Reuters reported.

Police and court officials confirmed that four female court clerks sustained minor injuries. The AP also quoted Stratis Dounias, head of the Athens Judicial Employees Union, who told state broadcaster ERT that the women were “slightly injured,” with some reportedly hit by ricocheting shotgun pellets. Meanwhile, television footage showed emergency crews transporting at least three individuals from the courthouse.

Authorities said the gunman abandoned the shotgun at the courthouse along with letters addressed to newspapers before fleeing on foot, the Reuters report said. The AP reported that envelopes containing documents were left behind, which may outline the reasons for his actions, although the police have not officially confirmed a motive.

Security camera footage aired by local media purportedly showed a man calmly walking near the social security office carrying what appeared to be a short-barreled shotgun. The same individual is suspected of having carried out the courthouse attack.

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Greek media identified the suspect as a garbage collector from the Athens area. Searches are on to nab the suspect, who remains at large.

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