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| Police fear further vendetta killings after violent incident Sunday June 24 |
Two people died and two were injured following a clash late Sunday night in the Profit Elias village of Iraklio on Crete island.
According to early information, a 34-year-old municipal employee went to a local butcher's shop in order to settle his differences with the 52-year-old owner.
The two men argued and began to throw punches. When the butcher's 17-year-old son tried to separate them, the 34-year-old pulled out a 9mm pistol and fired at least five shots, injuring the butcher in the legs, while one bullet wounded the teen boy in the neck. Another bullet ricocheted, hitting a 64-year-old customer.
The butcher ran to his car, took out a hunting gun and shot at least twice at the 34-year-old, killing him on the spot. The butcher, who had been shot in the legs earlier by the deceased, immediately turned himself in to police, telling them that he and his teenage son were the victims of an armed assault by the deceased and that he had acted in self-defense, forced to shoot in order to save his and his son's lives.
The butcher was taken to Rethymno Hospital, where he is under police guard, while the 64-year-old customer died later in intensive care unit (ICU) of nearby Venizelios Hospital.
The teenager was reported to be in a non-life-threatening stable condition in the Venizelio Hospital's neurosurgery unit.
A strong police contingent was dispatched to the village, but also the hospitals, in fear that vendetta violence may continue.(AMNA)
