Greek crime journalist shot dead by motorcycle gunmen: police

A hearse is seen on the road where Greek journalist George Karaivaz was fatally shot in the Alimos suburb of Athens, Greece, April 9, 2021. REUTERS/Costas Baltas

Two gunmen on a motorbike shot and killed a prominent Greek crime journalist near his home in Athens on Friday, police said.

George Karaivaz, a veteran journalist for private broadcaster STAR TV, was well-known to Greek audiences for his coverage of law and order and police stories.

Government spokeswoman Aristotelia Peloni said the murder "shocked us all".

A hearse is seen on the road where Greek journalist George Karaivaz was fatally shot in the Alimos suburb of Athens, Greece, April 9, 2021. REUTERS/Costas Baltas

"Authorities are already investigating in order to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice," she said.

Police said Karaivaz was shot early on Friday afternoon by two individuals on a motorbike who fired multiple rounds near his home in Alimos, in the south of Athens. Twelve bullet casings were collected from the scene, a police official said.

There were no immediate reports of a possible motive for Friday's shooting, however police said the murder was clearly carefully planned.

Forensic experts are seen on the road where Greek journalist George Karaivaz was fatally shot in the Alimos suburb of Athens, Greece, April 9, 2021. REUTERS/Costas Baltas

"It was a professional hit," said the police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to make statements to the media.

(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Peter Graff)

A forensic expert is seen on the road where Greek journalist George Karaivaz was fatally shot in the Alimos suburb of Athens, Greece, April 9, 2021. REUTERS/Costas Baltas