On April 28, 2026, a gunman opened fire at a social security office and a courthouse in central Athens, Greece, resulting in several injuries, according to Greek authorities. A police operation was initiated to locate the suspect, who was reported by Greek media to be an 89-year-old man. The motive for the attack remains unclear.

The incident began when the suspect armed with a shotgun entered the National Social Security Fund's offices in the Kerameikos area of Athens. He reportedly called out to an employee to duck before firing his weapon, hitting another employee in the leg. Following this initial shooting, which wounded the employee, the gunman fled the scene.

Later, the same individual is suspected of opening fire on the ground floor of a courthouse in a different area of central Athens. This second attack resulted in additional injuries, and authorities soon discovered the shotgun used in the incidents. Footage from state broadcaster ERT showed ambulance crews transporting at least three people from the courthouse, indicating the severity of the situation.

Alexandros Varveris, the head of the National Social Security Fund, provided details about the events. He stated that the shooter made his way to the fourth floor of the social security office, where he made his intentions known by instructing an employee to duck before firing. Varveris emphasized that it did not seem like the gunman had specifically targeted the employee who was injured.

The wounded employee was subsequently transported to a hospital after police applied a tourniquet to his leg. The overall reaction from the community highlighted the rarity of gun violence in Greece, where firearm ownership is allowed but heavily regulated. The swift response from law enforcement underscored the seriousness of the situation and their commitment to ensuring public safety while attempting to locate the suspect.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, with further details expected to emerge as authorities piece together the gunman’s motives. The broader implications for security at public institutions and the response to such unprecedented violence are likely to be discussed extensively in the aftermath of this event.