A tragic incident occurred on the morning of Saturday, June 27, 2026, in Heraklion, Crete, where a 40-year-old woman died after suffering a gunshot wound at the Malevizi Municipal Shooting Range.
According to Neakriti.gr, initial reports suggested the shooting was the result of an accidental firearm discharge. However, emerging evidence points to a very different scenario.
Emergency medical personnel told the local outlet that the woman, originally from Thessaloniki, had been handed a firearm to fire at the range. Moments before the incident, she reportedly told the range instructor, “Step back a little, you’re making me nervous.” She then allegedly turned the gun on herself and fired.
She sustained a severe gunshot wound to the neck and suffered massive bleeding. Paramedics said she was still conscious when they arrived, but her condition was extremely critical. She was rushed to Venizelio Hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
How the Tragedy Unfolded
In an emotional interview with Neakriti.gr, the president of the Malevizi Shooting Club, who was also serving as the woman’s instructor, described the events in detail. He firmly rejected speculation that the shooting was accidental, stating that the approximately 40-year-old visitor from Thessaloniki acted deliberately.
He explained that the woman’s presence at the shooting range was lawful.
“After the first round of competitions ended, she came as a visitor. Under the new legislation, visitors are allowed to participate in our training sessions. We followed all the required procedures.”
He then accompanied her onto the range to provide basic instruction.
“She came onto the range with me. I am a certified shooting instructor. I showed her the proper and safe way to handle the firearms.”
According to him, the woman appeared completely calm and showed no signs that anything was wrong.
“Because I was standing close to her, I couldn’t tell that she had any problem. We had a brief conversation, and she seemed perfectly normal.”
He said the woman then used anxiety as a reason to create some distance between them.
“She asked me to take two steps back because I was making her nervous. I stepped in front of her again. I kept helping and watching her. Then she repeated, ‘Go a little farther back… you’re making me nervous… step back a little.'”
According to his account, those few steps allowed her to carry out what he believes had been her intention.
“As soon as I stepped back, she placed the gun beneath her neck and shot herself.”
Visibly shaken, the instructor said the incident had deeply affected everyone present.
“Our club has been operating for many years. We have 2,000 members. Nothing like this has ever happened before. I’ve never witnessed anything similar. No one could experience something like this without being shocked.”
Police Investigation Underway
Police have launched a full investigation into the case.
Investigators are examining whether the woman was a registered competitive shooter with the legal right to use firearms at the range, or whether she was simply a civilian visitor who should not have been provided with a firearm.
Source: Neakriti.gr
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