Crete shooting: Manhunt for five gunmen after two shot dead in tourist hotspot horror
Police have descended on a Brit hotspot to launch a huge manhunt after two people were shot dead - two people have been arrested but cops believe other could be hiding in a ravine
A huge manhunt has been launched after two people were shot dead and at least 10 others injured in a major Brit tourist hotspot.
Police said there could be at least five armed men on the loose in Crete, Greece, as cops descend on a quaint Greek village. A huge operation was launched, with specialist officers and elite units, searching through canyons and mountains near the small village of Vorizia, in the centre of the island. The huge manhunt was launched after a woman, 56, and a man, 39, were killed during a horrifying gunfight, just after 11am on Saturday.
Local emergency services said six other people were rushed to hospital with varying injuries, after the shooting which is believed to be linked to a family vendetta.
Two men are in hospital "under guard, and their participation in the armed incident is under investigation", the police said.
Heavily armed forces have sealed off the Greek village, following last night's shooting, as the head of the Greek police and other senior officials rushed to the remote area for the huge operation. Police have arrested two men and said they believe some of the other suspects could be hiding in a nearby ravine. They added that the gunmen were wielding AK-47s and shotguns on their rampage.
The deadly incident happened hours after an explosive device went off at a house, which was under construction, in the village - no injuries were reported, according to the MailOnline.
The two families allegedly involved have had problems in the past, linked to land, but have previously solved them without violence, according to Greece's public broadcaster ERT. The feud sparked again in 2024 when one family member bought land in an area controlled by the other family - which was where Friday's explosion happened.
Villagers shared the tense feeling in the community between them and the authorities amid the manhunt. One person, speaking to local site Protothema, said: "They make a fuss over any car that passes by."
It was initially reported that the 56-year-old woman died from a heart attack but an autopsy showed she was actually shot. A family member, speaking to Protothema, said: "The 56-year-old received a bullet from the right side, which pierced her lungs and exited her spine."
The funerals of the victims have been put on hold by authorities due to safety fears after the attack. Schools in the local area have been forced to stay shut until Tuesday.
Crete has had a history of illegal gun ownership and family vendettas over things like land, across Greece's largest island.