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Elderly Greek kills himself in main Athens square

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ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek police say an elderly man has fatally shot himself in the country’s busiest public area in Athens, but the motives for his suicide are not clear.

The 77-year-old Greek man killed himself Wednesday near a metro exit on central Syntagma Square, which was crowded with commuters during the morning rush hour.

The square, opposite Greece’s Parliament, is a focal point for public protests.

Police said no suicide note was found near the body.

Greece is in the grip of an acute financial crisis, and has seen a sharp increase in suicides over the past two years of harsh austerity measures, rising unemployment and deepening recession.

By Salon Staff

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