Pension-Fueled Gunman, 89, Shoots Five in Athens Before Fleeing to Patras With Ticket to Italy

An 89-year-old man with a 20-year grievance over his pension hasbeen arrested in Patras after shooting five people in two separate attacks at a social security office and a courthouse in central Athens, then fleeing the capital in a pre-booked

The suspect, whose name was not released., was apprehended outside a hotel in the port city after a nationwide manhunt, following his identification from security footage by his own niece. Officers found him carrying a loaded .36 caliber revolver and a ferry ticket to Italy.

He reportedly smiled at police on arrest, telling them: "You will see me on the news."

The violence began Tuesday morning at the EFKA social security office in the Kerameikos district, where the suspect entered concealing a shotgun beneath a trench coat.

He allegedly ordered one employee to take cover before shooting another in the leg. Alexander Varveris, director of the facility, said the suspect was a familiar figure who had argued repeatedly with staff over his case.

The gunman then made his way across the city to the Athens Court of First Instance on Loukareos Street, where he opened fire a second time, wounding four women before slipping away in another taxi.

A day earlier, the suspect had taken a rehearsal run with a taxi driver, reportedly telling him: "I have been fighting for a pension for 20 years. Tomorrow you will see what I do."

Records show a history of psychiatric issues.

A firearms license briefly granted in 2018 was revoked the same year after he left live ammunition in a prosecutor's office, resulting in a temporary involuntary commitment.

In a letter intended for the media, he described himself as a "rabid dog" driven to "bite" the bureaucracy he held responsible for his financial ruin.

The pensioner faces multiple counts of attempted murder and weapons violations.

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An 89-year-old man with a 20-year grievance over his pension hasbeen arrested in Patras after shooting five people in two separate attacks at a social security office and a courthouse in central Athens, then fleeing the capital in a pre-booked taxi.

The suspect, whose name was not released., was apprehended outside a hotel in the port city after a nationwide manhunt, following his identification from security footage by his own niece. Officers found him carrying a loaded .36 caliber revolver and a ferry ticket to Italy.

He reportedly smiled at police on arrest, telling them: "You will see me on the news."

The violence began Tuesday morning at the EFKA social security office in the Kerameikos district, where the suspect entered concealing a shotgun beneath a trench coat.

He allegedly ordered one employee to take cover before shooting another in the leg. Alexander Varveris, director of the facility, said the suspect was a familiar figure who had argued repeatedly with staff over his case.

The gunman then made his way across the city to the Athens Court of First Instance on Loukareos Street, where he opened fire a second time, wounding four women before slipping away in another taxi.

A day earlier, the suspect had taken a rehearsal run with a taxi driver, reportedly telling him: "I have been fighting for a pension for 20 years. Tomorrow you will see what I do."

Records show a history of psychiatric issues.

A firearms license briefly granted in 2018 was revoked the same year after he left live ammunition in a prosecutor's office, resulting in a temporary involuntary commitment.

In a letter intended for the media, he described himself as a "rabid dog" driven to "bite" the bureaucracy he held responsible for his financial ruin.

The pensioner faces multiple counts of attempted murder and weapons violations.

Διαβάστε περισσότερα στο iefimerida.gr