Indiscriminate shootings are rare events, but are on the rise in Greece, leading to concerns. As per the reports of multiple sources including the BBC and CNN, several people were wounded in the latest shootings carried out by a man with a shotgun in two locations in Greece, such as at an EFKA social security agency office and the Court of Appeals in Athens last week. Moreover, there are several other such violent events in Greece including the 2025 shootout in Crete, which killed two people, and the Neo Irakleio Shooting in 2013, which led to the deaths of two people. But how much such violent events — though less frequent — can be prevented in Greece is uncertain.
Various reasons are responsible for and can increase the chance of violent shootings in Greece. The availability of illegal guns, the presence of organized crime gangs, a lack of appropriate security measures, personal grievances and several other reasons increase the chance for such attacks. There are strict regulations on guns and they are not as available in Greece as in many other countries, but they are still available mainly due to trafficking and a high volume of unregistered weapons estimated to be one million. Illegal firearms are widespread in the Greek island of Crete, where sporadic violent incidents take place because of family feuds and other reasons, and traditional practices such as Balothies, a Cretan custom that involves celebratory gunfire during weddings, baptisms and engagements to signify joy and honor.
Crete, Greece (credit: https://pixabay.com/).
But, optimistically saying, the government has taken legal and other measures that have helped reduce the chance of such attacks in Greece. The government’s strict regulations of guns — especially through Law 2168/1993 (Regulations concerning Weapons, Ammunition, explosives etc,) (attachment in Greek in November 12, 2015) — have made it difficult to possess illegal guns easily, toughened punishments (such as ten years for gun-related crimes, especially for repeat offenders) and zero tolerance policy toward gang crimes reduced gun violence in Greece compared to many other countries. Furthermore, relatively better law enforcement and prevention measures and the government’s zero tolerance for the practice of Balothies have helped reduce the chance of such incidents in Greece.
But there are various loopholes in the anti-violent efforts of the government, leading to their limited outcomes in Greece. A failure to tackle widespread illegal gun ownership is a major flaw in addressing gun violence in Greece. An estimated 57 percent of firearms are unregistered at present. The government’s efforts to control illegal guns, particularly in areas like Crete where illegal ownership is high, have struggled to remove illegal weapons used in low levels of violent clashes. Despite new legislative crackdowns, including a tough legislative amendment which was passed in December 2025 to increase penalties for offenders, various causes, including structural and cultural issues, hinder its effectiveness.
Moreover, there are several other flaws, including the lack of police presence, ineffective policing and ineffectiveness in the government’s efforts in addressing and dismantling criminal networks, in which local crime groups (often referred to as local mafias) collaborate with international groups, in Greece that are often responsible for the control of illicit markets, extortion, and turf wars. Greece faces significant challenges especially regarding rural vendettas and organized crimes especially in Crete. But the lack of effective policing, judicial inefficiency and political protection, along with various structural and cultural issues, make it difficult to address and dismantle organized gangs, including the Greek Mafia.
Even if gun violence and deaths from such violence are still very low in Greece, compared to many other European countries including Sweden and Belgium, its chance needs to be further reduced. For this, measures are needed to address the causes of such violence and related concerns. Emphasis needs to be given to the huge number of illegal guns. Seizing illegal guns and preventing gun trafficking, along with increased transnational cooperation, are vital to reduce the chance of gun violence in Greece. But to make illegal guns unavailable, a special focus needs to be given to the Island of Crete — where such guns are significantly more available.
But political commitment and the effectiveness of law enforcement are needed to dismantle organized crime gangs and address the availability of illegal guns in Greece in an effective manner. The emphasis can be given to addressing the related systemic issues and ensuring the effective management of gun-related violence and other organized crimes by the state apparatus, including law enforcement agencies. But addressing economic concerns can help prevent many from joining the organized gangs in Greece.
