The Vorizia vendetta in Crete has entered a new and deadly chapter, with two people killed and several others injured in a gun battle that shattered the peace of the small mountain village. The incident has revived fears that a long-simmering feud between two local families could reignite into a new cycle of violence.
The deadly clash
The latest Vorizia vendetta left a 39-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman dead. According to police and forensic reports, the man suffered at least four gunshot wounds from two different weapons- to his left leg, shoulder, chest, and coccyx- while the woman was killed by a bullet that entered through her left shoulder and exited through her right abdomen.
Investigators say the gunfight involved automatic rifles, pistols, and hunting shotguns. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, with shots fired “from one neighbourhood to another” as villagers ran for cover. “They were shooting blindly, with bullets flying into cafés, balconies, and cars,” a police source told Cretalive.
Police believe the death toll could have been far higher. Officers conducting a forensic examination at one of the houses in the village came under fire when a man in a 4×4 opened fire toward the area, apparently targeting the rival family’s home and ignoring the officers’ presence. The bullets reportedly whistled past their heads before reinforcements arrived.
Five suspects charged
Police have identified and charged five suspects- two of whom are hospitalised under guard at Heraklion University Hospital (PAGNI) and three others are from the same family. The suspects face felony charges for murder and attempted murder. The investigation into the Vorizia vendetta remains open, with police spokeswoman Konstantia Dimoglou confirming that “more people are believed to have been involved” from both sides.
Authorities are also investigating an explosion at an under-construction home that reportedly triggered the feud. So far, no evidence links the blast to either family, but forensic material has been collected and sent for analysis by the Explosives Disposal Unit.
Fear in the village
Residents describe Vorizia as a community living under siege. “They climbed on cars and fired across the neighbourhoods. No one expected such evil,” said 86-year-old Zacharias Karamanitakis, who still lives in the village and remembers the vendetta of the 1950s, when his uncles were among the dead. “They’re shepherds- differences always existed, but shooting in broad daylight… this should have stopped long ago.”
Locals now fear a new cycle of revenge. “These families can no longer live together here,” a senior police officer told local media. “They will have to leave, or innocent people will pay the price. The hatred is boiling, and even the women dressed in black are demanding vengeance.”
Echoes of the past
The village’s violent past looms large. In 1955, during a Saint Fanourios festival, a fight between villagers turned into one of Crete’s bloodiest vendettas, leaving multiple people dead and wounded. Though authorities have not confirmed any genealogical link between those families and the current ones, the tragic parallels are unmistakable.
Tight security and trauma response
Police forces remain heavily deployed in the area, while schools in Vorizia and nearby Zaros will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday. Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki announced that a team of child psychologists and social workers will arrive to support the community, especially students affected by the violence.
“The next day is darkness,” one local official told reporters. “People are terrified of what might come next.”
Also read: Cypriots in Tanzania: Families in contact, no flights available
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel
