Aarau gunman Julien G.: Chronology of a life in retreat
Julien G. (43) is suspected of firing around 40 shots with a Kalashnikov at the Aarau Rave on 30 August and killing a 22-year-old woman. Blick reconstructs his life history.
Withdrawal, schizophrenia and a weapons arsenal: what is known about Julien G.
Julien G. (43) is suspected of firing around 40 shots with a Kalashnikov at revellers near the racecourse during the "Aarau Rave" at Schachenstrasse in the night of 30-31 August. Maria S. (†22) was killed in the incident, and six other people were injured. According to police, they were random victims. Blick sets out what is known so far about the Swiss citizen's life history – and where gaps remain.
Childhood and schooling in Jura Canton
Julien G. grew up in Corban, a village in the municipality of Val Terbi in Jura Canton. His parents come from Moutier. A former teacher described a lovely, completely normal family to the "SonntagsZeitung". He also completed secondary school in the valley. His former teacher Vincent Eschmann recalls a reserved, friendly pupil – not particularly isolated. What stands out today is mainly that almost exclusively former teachers are still able to remember him at all.
Apprenticeship as a butcher, short-lived positions
After school, Julien G. completed an apprenticeship as a butcher. Subsequent jobs followed, each lasting only a short time. There was no stable employment history.
Weapons purchase at age 23
According to Aargau Cantonal Police, Julien G. acquired two pistols and a semi-automatic Kalashnikov-type assault rifle (AKS-74) at the age of 23. All three weapons were legally purchased and properly registered. Under current firearms law, the acquisition of an AK-74 would no longer be possible. His parents knew nothing of this. That their son possessed such an arsenal, they would never have guessed, his father said in an interview with the "Quotidien Jurassien".
Mental illness and psychiatric hospitalisation
In his twenties, Julien G. increasingly withdrew. According to his father, he developed a form of paranoia, after which schizophrenia was diagnosed. He was hospitalised at a psychiatric institution in Delémont – "because he could no longer bear to be around people", as his father told the "Quotidien Jurassien". The stay lasted three weeks and is said to have traumatised him. After that, he held no permanent position; he received a full disability pension. Medication was gradually reduced and eventually discontinued. He has not been in medical treatment for some time – which displeases his parents.
Military training: contradictory statements
At a press conference on Wednesday, Aargau authorities stated that Julien G. underwent training as a military cook in 2013, left the army the same year and returned his service weapon. His father contradicts this: his son was never in the military. When contacted by the "SonntagsZeitung", the public prosecutor's office maintains that the information has been confirmed. What is clear: in 2013, Julien G. was already between 29 and 30 years old.
A life as a phantom in Montsevelier
As an adult, he initially lived with his parents. They eventually found him a flat – on the ground floor of a converted bakery building in Montsevelier, three kilometres from Corban. There he became a phantom: curtains almost always closed, barely a word with neighbours, no membership of the shooting club, no trace on the internet, no photograph. His mother came by to wash his laundry.
The night of the act
His parents planned to meet their son in Italy. The day before the incident, he wrote to them; they assumed he had driven off in his white van. Then he sent his mother a message saying he had arrived safely. In reality, his parents did not know where he was.
In the night into Sunday, Julien G. drove to Schachenstrasse in Aarau, walked part of the way and, according to police, opened fire on the crowd. On the way back, he fired with a pistol at a departing car. Julien G. has no known connections to Aargau.
Surrender and silence
Shortly after 1 a.m., Julien G. surrendered at the police station in Delémont. Officers searched his flat and his parents' home the same morning. During the first questioning, he refused to make a statement about the matter. He had no prior convictions. His motive remains unknown.
Names shortened in accordance with editorial standards.
Source: Blick