Central Athens was thrown into chaos on Tuesday when an 89-year-old man armed with a shotgun opened fire at two separate locations — first inside the EFKA social security office in Kerameikos, then near the Court of Appeals — wounding at least four people.
Video footage captured the elderly man leaving the scene carrying his weapon, triggering a massive police response. Officers were filmed scaling the fences of the Court of Appeals as part of the search operation. The building was placed under lockdown, effectively turned into a “fortress,” as Greek media described it.
A key phone call is reportedly central to the investigation. As of Tuesday afternoon, the manhunt was still underway, with police combing surrounding blocks and possible escape routes. The motive remains unclear, though Greek outlets noted the targeting of a state insurance agency and a court building may point to a grievance with the bureaucratic or judicial system — a sentiment that, on this particular day, found far darker expression elsewhere in the Greek news cycle.
