Shooting at rave in Aarau: 22-year-old woman killed, six injured – Swiss man arrested
A 43-year-old Swiss man opened fire at a rave in Aargau canton, killing a woman and injuring six other people. Police have classified the incident as a rampage attack.
Police: lone gunman fired more than 40 shots at techno event in Aargau canton
A 43-year-old Swiss man shot and killed a 22-year-old woman and injured six other people at a rave in Aargau canton early on Sunday. The cantonal police have now classified the incident as a rampage attack, according to reports.
Police chief Michael Leupold stated at a press conference on Wednesday that there were "no indications whatsoever of other persons involved in the attack". Investigators are proceeding on the assumption with near certainty that the perpetrator acted alone. There is no further danger to the public.
Course of events
The rave took place on the grounds of the Aargau Racing Association – for the fifth time in this format, featuring DJs from the techno scene and around 3,500 expected visitors. The shots were fired in the early morning hours of Sunday, when more than 100 people were still on the grounds.
According to authorities, the suspect drove his car to a nearby car park and then walked to the event grounds on foot. There he fired more than 40 shots with an assault rifle, repeatedly changing his firing direction. After the attack, he returned to the car park, fired at a departing vehicle with a pistol, and then fled, according to incident commander Schildknecht.
Victims
A 22-year-old woman was killed by the gunfire. Five other people aged between 24 and 31 were wounded by shots; a sixth person reported to police on Monday with injuries from a ricochet. Among the injured was a German woman who told the newspaper Blick about two grazing shots. All victims live in Switzerland.
Arrest and weapons
Police received more than 80 emergency calls. Based in part on contradictory witness statements, investigators concentrated on a vehicle with a registration plate from Jura canton; more than 100 potentially matching vehicles were checked. Almost 24 hours after the incident, the suspect turned himself in to police.
Officers found two pistols and a Kalashnikov assault rifle in his vehicle. All three weapons were properly registered to the man and had been legally acquired more than 20 years ago. The 43-year-old had no previous police record and, according to investigations so far, had no apparent connection to the Aarau crime scene.
Source: WELT