The child, Alexia, was hit by bullet fired some 450 meters away while playing in the courtyard of her home in south-central Greece. A 54-year-old gas station owner based in Athens was eventually tracked down by police and reportedly admitted to firing the shot, as part of Easter celebrations at a residence in an adjacent village.
“We spoke with physicians, and for the first time, a glimmer of hope has appeared. They believe that if this improvement continues, then we’ll have a better course,” Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, His Beatitude Ieronymos, told reporters afterwards.
The child remains in critical but stable condition at the ICU, remaining in a medically induced coma.
The Archbishop comforted the parents and relatives of the child, offering his prayers for Alexia’s speedy and full recovery.