Gunmen open fire on car in Menidi, leaving 26-year-old man hospitalized with gunshot wounds

Gunfire on Vardousion Street

Gunfire broke out shortly after 03:00 on Sunday, 4 October 2026, in the Menidi district of Acharnes, located in the northern Athens metropolitan area. Unidentified perpetrators targeted a moving passenger car on Vardousion Street, discharging multiple rounds toward the vehicle before fleeing the scene. The armed assault triggered a security alert across the Acharnes municipality as police units responded to reports of gunfire in the residential area. Officers dispatched to the location cordoned off the street to preserve evidence and search for potential witnesses.

Investigators located the targeted automobile on Vardousion Street, documenting three distinct bullet holes across its bodywork. Physical strikes were identified on the glass window pane, the front windshield, and the rear door of the passenger car. The distribution of the bullet impacts demonstrated that the assailants fired directly into the vehicle from close range as it traveled along the road.

Medical intervention at KAT Hospital

The 26-year-old victim of the shooting arrived at KAT General Hospital in Athens shortly after the assault occurred on Vardousion Street. Hospital administrators notified the Hellenic Police at approximately 03:15 that a 26-year-old male had presented with penetrating gunshot wounds. Medical personnel assessed the man and determined that he had suffered a bullet wound in the rib and flank region. The timing of his arrival at KAT Hospital prompted authorities to connect his injuries to the gunfire reported in Menidi.

Surgical teams at KAT Hospital transferred the wounded man into the operating theatre for urgent surgery. Attending physicians continued to monitor his health and vital signs closely following the surgical procedure throughout Sunday morning. Hospital officials maintained communication with police detectives who sought to speak with the patient once his medical condition stabilized.

Ballistic analysis and evidence collection

Specialized forensic teams and police investigators combed Vardousion Street to collect physical evidence left behind by the gunmen. Officers discovered and collected four spent cartridge casings from the ground near the scene of the shooting. Initial reporting indicated that the perpetrators discharged their weapons at least three times toward the moving vehicle during the early-morning attack.

The four recovered shell casings were secured for laboratory analysis to assist in identifying the specific firearm or firearms deployed in Menidi. Forensic specialists also performed detailed inspections of the three bullet entry points on the vehicle, cataloguing damage to the windshield, window glass, and rear door to reconstruct the trajectory of the gunfire.

Lines of inquiry and motive

Detectives from the Hellenic Police launched an investigation to establish the precise sequence of events leading up to the shooting on Vardousion Street. Law enforcement personnel are working to identify the unknown assailants and uncover the primary motives behind the targeted attack on the vehicle. Investigators are collecting witness testimonies and reviewing available surveillance footage from surrounding businesses and residences in Acharnes.

As part of their ongoing inquiries, police authorities are examining whether the armed attack connects to an earlier physical clash between Roma groups in the district. Law enforcement officials emphasized that this scenario remains one of several active lines of inquiry while detectives clarify the broader background of the confrontation. Police investigations remain in full progress across Menidi to locate the suspects and determine the exact roles of all individuals involved.