Swiss man arrested after shooting at Aarau rave kills Italian woman, 22
A 43-year-old Swiss man was arrested after a shooting at a techno rave in Aarau killed Maria Spinelli, 22, and injured five others.
Suspect held after fatal shooting at Swiss rave ends nearly 24-hour manhunt
A 43-year-old Swiss man has been arrested in connection with a shooting at a techno rave in Aarau, Switzerland, that killed a 22-year-old Italian woman and left five others hospitalised, Google News UK — Crime (en) reports.
Maria Spinelli, from Italy, died at the scene of the Schachen race track in Aarau — a town approximately 46km west of Zurich — where the event was being held in the early hours of Sunday. Four men and a woman, aged between 24 and 27, were taken to hospital with injuries described as ranging from minor to severe.
Aarau cantonal police confirmed the suspect was apprehended shortly before 01:00 local time on Monday, bringing a nearly 24-hour manhunt to a close. Officers had initially received a report of shots fired at the venue at around 02:30 on Sunday, and as late as Sunday afternoon had said they had no firm leads and were uncertain whether one person or several were involved.
"The investigation into the exact sequence of events, the background and the possible motive is currently under way," police said in a statement. "At this time, it is assumed that the perpetrator acted alone."
An eyewitness told Swiss outlet Blick that he had "suddenly heard the gunshots" moments after the music stopped, initially mistaking them for fireworks. He said he was directed to hide by a man and a woman nearby — the woman was subsequently shot.
Organisers had expected around 3,500 people to attend the event. Aarau, home to approximately 23,000 residents, sits less than 40km from the German border; local media reported that German police were providing support to Swiss forces during the search.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was confident Swiss authorities would "shed full light on what happened and find anyone responsible." Italy's foreign ministry confirmed it was dispatching officials to Zurich to "closely follow the investigation."
Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Europe, though violent shootings are rare. The country introduced tighter firearms controls in recent years. The last major shooting on record occurred in 2001, when a gunman killed 14 members of the parliament and local government of Zug, near Lucerne, before taking his own life.
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)