Shots at Aarau Rave: 43-year-old Swiss national in pre-trial detention, one dead
A 43-year-old Swiss national fired 40 shots at the Aarau Rave and killed a 22-year-old Italian woman. He turned himself in to police and remains silent about the incident.
Mass shooting in Aarau: perpetrator turned himself in, refuses to comment on the act
According to Google News CH — Crime (de), Aargau cantonal police informed the public on Wednesday afternoon in Schafisheim about the current status of investigations into the shooting attack on the "Aarau Rave". The perpetrator is a 43-year-old Swiss national from the Canton of Jura who was not known to police prior to his arrest.
In the night leading into Sunday, the man opened fire on the rave at Schachen in Aarau. According to police, he fired 40 shots from an assault rifle at the event, then turned away and fled on foot. Later he fired with a pistol at a departing vehicle.
More than 100 people were still on the premises at the time of the attack.
One dead, six injured
Maria S., a 22-year-old Italian woman, was killed in the attack. She had only recently moved to Switzerland to work. According to police, she was struck by a single through-and-through shot that damaged a vital organ — this wound proved fatal.
Initially, five further injured persons were reported. It was only on Monday that a sixth person came forward to police: they had been struck by a ricochet but had not reported it immediately. Four of the injured are Swiss nationals. Two persons remain hospitalised, and no one is in danger of life.
Perpetrator turned himself in — with vehicle and weapons
In the night leading into Monday, the perpetrator was arrested. He turned himself in to police: he drove the vehicle used in the attack to the police station and had the weapons he had used with him. The identification had been made possible, amongst other things, by a witness statement that narrowed down the vehicle used in the attack to a car with a Jura licence plate.
The investigation had been "resource-intensive", police explained at the press conference. Because the perpetrator had not been apprehended at the scene, the authorities had conducted countless interviews, evaluated leads and reviewed footage.
Perpetrator remains silent, mental health problems suspected
On Monday, the 43-year-old was questioned. According to the responsible public prosecutor, he remained completely silent regarding the act itself. Even to the question of whether he regretted the act, the investigating authorities gave no answer at the press conference — they could not comment on this at present.
The perpetrator told police that he had suffered from health problems for some time. The authorities suspect that he suffers from mental health problems; the specifics of these must still be clarified. The man is in pre-trial detention.
No terrorism, no organised crime — police assume single perpetrator
Police classify the incident as a mass shooting. It is neither a terrorist attack nor a settlement of organised crime scores or any other criminal act, the authorities stated. At the current time, no extremist backgrounds are known.
A personal connection between the perpetrator and Aarau has not been established thus far. That he chose this particular event appears to have been, according to initial findings, a "coincidence".
Police assume a single perpetrator. There are no indications of any other persons involved.
Weapon legally possessed for 20 years
The 43-year-old is a Swiss national without a migration background and resident in Canton Jura, not Canton Aargau. As a Swiss citizen, he fulfilled his military service obligation, but surrendered his service weapon upon completion of service. The firearms permit under which he legally possessed the weapon used in the attack had been issued to him 20 years ago.
Investigation in early stages, no ongoing updates
The authorities emphasised that they are at the beginning of the proceedings. Detailed information cannot therefore be shared with the public. Following the press conference on Wednesday, there will be no ongoing reporting by police.
A journalist from "Corriere della Sera" criticised the sparse information about the perpetrator during the question round. Police pointed out that the perpetrator had no place of residence in Canton Aargau and that they simply knew too little at this stage.
With the arrest of the suspect, the danger prevention phase has been concluded, police explained. There is no remaining risk.
Source: Google News CH — Crime (de)