Employee shot at betting shop
A 34-year-old employee of a betting shop in the Athens district of Nea Smyrni was shot dead by a would-be robber just after 9 p.m. on Wednesday night, the latest in a spate of violent attacks in the capital. According to a witness, the gunman fired one shot at the employee after entering the store and then another two when the employee tried to chase him. The 35-year-old, who was hit twice in the chest, was transferred to the hospital but died on arrival. Officers found around 1,000 euros in the cash register and said it was likely that the gunman did not get away with any cash. Police expressed serious concern about the incident, noting that it was the eighth murder in Attica in just three weeks. Officers also observed that the targets of violent robberies had shifted in recent weeks, from banks in the city center to betting shops, supermarkets and convenience stores in less central locations. A senior officer told Kathimerini, «We have seen a drop in the number of bank robberies alongside a spike in attacks outside the center.»
