A fatal incident occurred at a rave in the northern Swiss canton of Aargau, resulting in one fatality and five individuals sustaining injuries in the early hours of Sunday, as per local law enforcement and media reports. Authorities are currently searching for a suspect in connection with the incident.
Police indicated that the hunt for the unidentified perpetrator is ongoing and that the motives behind the crime and the specific details surrounding it remain unclear. In a statement, cantonal police stated that a 22-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Additionally, four men and one woman, aged between 24 and 27, were transported to the hospital with injuries of varying severity.
All the victims are Swiss residents, according to police, who refrained from disclosing their identities to comply with Swiss privacy regulations.
Police spokesperson Pascal Wenzel informed Swiss public broadcaster SRF that law enforcement received reports of the shooting in Aarau, the capital of the canton, at approximately 2:30 a.m., which is located 46 kilometers west of Zurich.
The shooting incident took place during the Aarau Rave VOL. 7 event at the horse racing track in the Schachen district, as reported by SRF. The fire department established a significant cordon around the vicinity.
A widespread manhunt operation is currently in progress, with locals urged to avoid the area. A substantial police presence, including firefighters and ambulances, is on-site. Furthermore, authorities in Freiburg, Germany, are assisting in the search for the suspect, according to the German news agency dpa.
Witnesses at the rave initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks until a call to “get down” was heard, as detailed by Swiss newspaper Blick. The shooting incident occurred immediately after the conclusion of the rave, after which police escorted the remaining attendees to a nearby gym, as per Blick’s report.
Law enforcement has appealed to potential witnesses who captured videos or photos of the shooting to come forward with their evidence.
The Aargau Racing Club, the venue operator, expressed shock over the incident, extending condolences to those affected and their families. They commended the emergency responders and others involved for their professionalism and dedication at the scene.
Swiss DJ Tekibo, who performed at the event, expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, emphasizing that techno and rave events should be spaces of freedom and safety, not scenes of violence.
Aarau, with a population of 22,300 residents, is situated approximately 30 kilometers south of the German border.