Was stray bullet part of hate crime?

The cause of the conflict that led to the shooting of a 29-year-old woman by a stray bullet remains unclear, according to police investigators, who say it may have been ethnically motivated.

The shooting occurred late Tuesday night in the western Athens suburb of Korydallos outside a barber shop, when its owner, a 24-year-old Greek of Armenian extraction, was confronted by a group of young men. During a heated exchange that ensued, at least one of the men pulled out a gun and began shooting at the window, resulting in one bullet ricocheting toward the cafe next door, where the 29-year-old woman was sitting. She was rushed to the hospital and doctors say she is expected to survive her injuries.

Eyewitnesses say eight to nine people who spoke Greek confronted the barber shop owner, who told police he does not know who they are or what their motive was.