A three-year-old boy was tragically killed on Friday morning in a shooting incident while traveling in a car with his parents in the village of Markopoulos, eastern Attica.
According to initial police reports, the family was driving along Agios Dimitriou street when an SUV approached, and someone in the SUV opened fire, fatally wounding the child.
Preliminary information suggests the incident may have stemmed from a prior confrontation between the occupants of the two vehicles for unknown reasons. Reports from local news outlets indicate the shooting occurred near a Roma settlement and may have involved a longstanding family dispute.
The father, realising the severity of his child’s injury, rushed the toddler to the Markopoulos Health Centre. Medical staff attempted to stabilise the boy and transferred him to a children’s hospital due to the extent of his injuries, but the child did not survive.
Eyewitness accounts and evidence suggest that the shooters may have been lying in wait for the family’s car. When the SUV pulled alongside, a bullet penetrated the glass, striking the child.
Greek police have launched a full investigation into the incident to determine the exact circumstances and motive behind the shooting.
(Source: Protothema)