A gunman opened fire at two locations in central Athens on Tuesday, wounding several people at a social security office and a courthouse before escaping.
The suspect, an 89-year-old man, first arrived at the social security office in the city center, where he fired a hunting rifle and wounded an employee, Greek police said. Officers who rushed to the scene gave first aid to the victim, but the shooter managed to flee.
Shortly after, the same man is believed to have continued to a courthouse building in Athens, where he fired on the ground floor and wounded several more people. Police found cartridges and the hunting rifle used by the suspect at the scene.
Footage broadcast on local media showed emergency crews evacuating at least three wounded people to the hospital. Police said the circumstances of the incident remain unclear, but according to reports the suspect threw envelopes containing documents during the shooting and claimed these were the reasons for his actions.
Greek authorities noted that shooting incidents of this type are relatively rare in the country, and that gun ownership is permitted but strictly regulated.