At least eight shots were fired at the Ormideia home of the 76-year-old father of a man serving a life sentence for the Ayia Napa quadruple murder in the early hours of Wednesday, while he and his wife were inside, philenews understands.
Police sources say the motive is not yet clear, but the leading theory is that the shooting was a new message to the 48-year-old convicted man, whose 33-year-old brother escaped unhurt from an attempted murder in Ayia Napa in August. Inquiries will therefore extend to the Central Prisons.
Some of the shots hit the front of the house. The attack took place at 3am but was reported to police only on Wednesday morning, as the pensioner reportedly said he had not heard the shots.
Famagusta CID officers are at the scene, and the Criminological Investigation Service (CSI) is also carrying out examinations. Police are seeking statements from neighbours and CCTV footage from the area to trace the attackers.
In the August attack, gunmen who had lain in wait a few metres from the 33-year-old’s home in the Kokkines area of Ayia Napa opened fire on his car at 5.40am on 21 August as he tried to turn right, hitting it several times. He was not injured.
Shortly afterwards, a stolen Volvo linked to the attackers was found burning in an open area in Avgorou. At the time, too, it was thought the attackers may have wanted to send a message to the 48-year-old.
The 48-year-old was sentenced to four life terms in September 2017 for the quadruple murder committed in Ayia Napa on 23 June 2016.
