A 48-year-old man shot and killed his 45-year-old former partner outside her apartment building in Nea Smyrni, Greece, before committing suicide with an illegal firearm.
Investigators revealed that the perpetrator ambushed the woman as she stepped out of her building, forcing her to her knees before shooting her and then turning the weapon on himself.
A local resident describing the incident to Greek television network MEGA said she heard a woman scream followed by gunshots, counting three initial shots and then a fourth shot two minutes later directly outside her front door.
After five minutes, residents ventured downstairs to find the man lying face down and the woman on her back with severe facial injuries. Police identified the weapon as a handgun allegedly belonging to the Albanian presidential guard, which the suspect held without authorization.
Nea Smyrni is a southern suburb of Athens, situated roughly four kilometers from the city center. MEGA is one of the oldest and largest national commercial television networks operating in Greece.
Breakup and Stalking Allegations
The victim had ended her relationship with the suspect toward the end of February after discovering that he was married and had a 19-year-old daughter. The decision marked a turning point that led to persistent harassment, according to family members.
The victim's 18-year-old daughter informed authorities that her mother was deeply troubled by the suspect's conduct. She described the man as excessively jealous and stated that he had repeatedly created problems for her mother following their separation.
The victim's sister-in-law stated that the suspect had been systematically stalking the woman in recent weeks, showing up wherever she went. A close friend of the perpetrator's family noted that his marriage had been failing for some time, creating severe internal conflict surrounding his relationship with the victim.
Escalating Threats and Security Measures
According to the victim's sister-in-law, the harassment escalated to explicit death threats. The suspect allegedly sent the victim a photograph of himself holding a handgun to his head, along with a message stating that he would kill her before taking his own life.
Although relatives repeatedly urged the woman to report the threats to law enforcement, she did not file a formal complaint. She did, however, express growing fear and changed the locks on her apartment front door in an attempt to protect herself.
On the day of the attack, the victim's daughter was away in Agrinio, a commercial hub in western Greece, staying with her uncle. The daughter told reporters she believed her mother kept specific details hidden from her to spare her from worry, adding that she was in total shock over the murder.
Rejected Meeting with the Victim's Brother
Just days before the fatal shooting, the 48-year-old suspect attempted to arrange a meeting with the victim's brother, stating that he wanted to meet for coffee and talk about what was happening with his sister. In telephone exchanges reported by MEGA, the victim's brother asked what there was to talk about and stated that he did not think the two of them needed to meet.
When the 48-year-old pressed the issue, insisting that they were not going to fight and would simply have a coffee together, the victim's brother repeatedly declined, telling the suspect to leave the matter alone and drop it entirely.
Premeditated Actions and Last Words
Witness accounts gathered by investigators indicate that the suspect planned the crime hours before it occurred. A friend of the suspect's family recounted that he met his 19-year-old daughter the evening before the attack, telling her that he loved her deeply but felt hurt because she had not supported him.
He warned his daughter that she might never see him again and stated that it would be their final meeting. He then returned home at four in the morning, woke his wife, and handed her cash while instructing her to protect their child with her life before departing in tears.
Family Devastation and Call for Privacy
The perpetrator's 19-year-old daughter spoke publicly to MEGA, expressing profound devastation over her father's actions. She stated that while she grieves the loss of her father, she cannot overlook the fact that he became a murderer who stole a mother from a girl her own age.
She emphasized that she bears no responsibility for the crime, expressed deep sympathy for the victim's daughter, and described everyone involved as victims of the tragedy. She requested that the public respect both families' grief and grant them privacy to mourn.
A close friend of the killer's family added that the 19-year-old is struggling to cope with the severe psychological toll and the social stigma of being identified as the murderer's daughter.
