Shooting in Aarau: Arrest after 24 hours – lingering questions about investigation
A 43-year-old Swiss man has been arrested following a fatal attack at a rave in Aarau. Analysis of police work during the first 24 hours raises several questions.
Arrest after large-scale manhunt – what police achieved in Aarau in 24 hours
More than 100 police officers were deployed, and an army Superpuma helicopter circled the area: Following the shooting at the rave on the Schachen site in Aarau, in which 22-year-old Italian national Maria S., a resident of Switzerland, died and five further people were seriously injured, one of the largest manhunts in canton Aargau was launched. In the night going into Monday, a 43-year-old Swiss man was arrested as a suspect. We answer the most important questions about how the authorities proceeded.
Major deployment from the outset
"Currently practically the entire police force from Aargau is mobilised," said media spokesperson Bernhard Graser on Sunday afternoon. In addition to police officers, rescue services, the fire brigade, the emergency services and the Cantonal Disaster Response Unit (KKE) were on scene. The Schachen site was cordoned off over a wide area, and identity checks were carried out at all access routes around Aarau.
All-clear despite fugitive suspects
A few hours after the incident, Aargau Cantonal Police declared that there was no further danger to the public – despite the suspects not yet having been apprehended. The all-clear referred to the scene itself, which was secured quickly. This did not necessarily mean that no further danger emanated from the fugitive, possibly armed suspects.
When suspects are on the run, police divide their work into two strands: hazard mitigation and criminal prosecution. As long as it cannot be ruled out that the suspects could attack or threaten further persons, hazard mitigation takes priority. Only when this question can be answered in the negative does criminal prosecution – identification, location and arrest of the suspect – come to the fore. This is why the Aarau Schachen remained cordoned off over a wide area on Sunday, even though the suspects were presumably already far away.
International manhunt in Schengen area
Parallel to national measures such as registration in the Ripol search system, an international manhunt was immediately triggered, according to Stephan Reinhardt, former commander of Aargau Cantonal Police. "Initially in the Schengen area via registration in the Schengen Information System SIS," Reinhardt explained in response to our inquiry. This also meant "transmission of known characteristics of the suspects to all police authorities of Schengen member states" – allowing them to search for suspected perpetrators even within their own territory.
According to the German Press Agency (DPA), German police were routinely involved in the manhunt measures. From Aarau to the German border takes less than an hour by car. A spokesman for Freiburg Police Headquarters made no specific statements regarding German measures. Reinhardt cited thorough identity checks at nearby border crossings as an obvious immediate measure. Independently of the Aarau case, Germany is currently conducting temporary internal border controls – to combat irregular migration and human trafficking crime.
Many unanswered questions
Despite the swift arrest, central questions remain unclear. Whether one or multiple perpetrators were involved and who specifically fired the shots remains unclear. The motive is also completely unknown so far. "Success in such cases depends on various factors," said former commander Reinhardt. He cited witness interviews, the examination of the weapon and ammunition, and visual material as crucial investigative approaches.
Several factors initially spoke against a swift arrest: the suspects had considerable time to leave the scene, and a specific location was not known. Nevertheless, investigators managed to arrest the suspect within less than 24 hours after the attack. It remains unclear whether he acted alone or whether accomplices were involved in the act.
The name of the deceased has been abbreviated by the editorial staff.
Source: Blick