Police in Thessaloniki arrested on Wednesday a suspect in connection with the murder of 19-year-old, Alkis Kambanos, in the city’s eastern district of Harilaou.
Early reports identified the suspect as a 22-year-old man of Albanian origin.
According to Ekathimerini, the suspect is a member of the Palaion Patron Germanou Street PAOK fan club and has a history of violence-related offenses, including charges of assault with a bladed weapon in 2019 near the scene of the murder.
He was one of three individuals detained after a police operation on Tuesday and will appear before a city prosecutor Thursday.
The arrest came after a video showing the suspects fleeing the scene of the murder was released by Greek news website thestival.gr. The footage shows the suspects running to two stopped cars that were waiting for the perpetrators to escape the area.
Alkis Kambanos, along with two friends, were intercepted and attacked on the street in Harilaou around 1 am on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old bled to death after being stabbed in the upper thigh. The other two are being treated for multiple injuries at the Papanikolaou Hospital. Reported to be in good health, the two are expected to be discharged from the hospital on Thursday.
READ MORE: Weapon used in Thessaloniki knife attack that killed 19-year-old student found.
Tributes flow for Alkis:
News of Kambanos’ death has shocked Greece with many paying tribute to him.
Fans of Thessaloniki side, Aris FC, hoisted banners paying tribute to Kambanos in their home grounds, two days after the student was murdered.
The banners went up in Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium shortly before a scheduled match with visiting Athens side AEK.
“Words are unnecessary. Rest in peace, Alkis. You were taken in a cowardly and unjust way. May your soul be our guide,” the banner stated.
Both sides held a minute’s silence before the game and laid wreaths.
Earlier, Aris players laid a jersey displaying the number 19 at the spot where the young man was killed.
Greece’e President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, also released a statement on social media on Wednesday calling the murder a “brutal act.”
“How can we tolerate our streets, our parks, and our squares becoming the setting of violence between rival gangs, endangering the lives of citizens?” Sakellaropoulou asked.
“And more importantly, how did violence become the only form of expression for a group of young people with issues of social inclusion, sentiments of marginalisation, extremely negative perceptions, and fears of a cancelled future?
“…Let the brutal act in Thessaloniki, that cost the life of a young person and injured two more, not become just one more incident in the ongoing transformation of social life into an arena of rivalry, bigotry, enmity, and ultimately, lethal inhumanity.”
In a tweet after the arrest, Citizens’ Protection Minister, Takis Theodorikakos, said that Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, had also been informed of the latest developments, while vowing that the authorities remain committed to holding perpetrators accountable under law.
Source: Ekathimerini.
