April 28 (UPI) — Police in Greece arrested an 89-year-old man suspected of shooting and injuring five people at two government sites in Athens on Tuesday, local authorities said.
Law enforcement said the man opened fire at a courthouse in central Athens and a social security office. The shooting injured an employee at the social security office and four others at the courthouse, the BBC reported.
One eyewitness told state-run news agency ANA they observed the man firing his gun at the ground.
“Four women working at the small claims court were slightly injured,” Stratis Dounias, the head of a union for judiciary workers, told ANA.
Police said the suspect left a shotgun behind and fled to the western port city of Patra, where he was arrested hours later while making plans to board a ferry to Italy, Ekathimerini reported. He allegedly planned to travel to the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, France.
Greek television outlet ERT said the man was discovered at a hotel and was in possession of a loaded .38-caliber revolver. Workers at the hotel said they recognized the man from images released in the news and notified police.
Though police have not announced an official motive for the attack, a relative of the suspect told ERT that the alleged gunman had a history of mental illness and was upset his paperwork for a pension was denied.
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