Gunfire at Aarau Rave: Police Arrest 43-Year-Old, Three Possible Motives Under Investigation
Following an attack at a rave in Aarau that left one person dead and five injured, a 43-year-old Swiss national has been arrested. Police are investigating terrorism, mass shooting, and criminal settling of scores as possible motives.
Arrest After Fatal Shooting in Aarau – Investigators Pursuing Three Hypotheses
On Monday afternoon, the Aargau Cantonal Police reported an initial breakthrough: a 43-year-old Swiss national was arrested on suspicion of the crime. According to Blick, further details about the suspect are to be announced at a press conference on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
Despite the arrest, central questions about the shooting, which occurred overnight on Sunday at a rave on the racecourse in Aarau, remain unanswered. A woman died in the incident, and five other people were injured. Whether there are additional perpetrators and what the motive was remain unclear.
Terrorism, Mass Shooting, or Criminal Settling of Scores
Police Commander Michael Leupold outlined three possible motives to the media on Sunday evening: "The first hypothesis is a terrorist attack, the second is a mass shooting, and the third involves criminal activity with a motive currently unknown to us. For example, a settling of scores within a particular criminal milieu."
In the case of a terrorist attack, the act would be politically or religiously motivated and aimed at intimidating society or destabilising the state. A mass shooting, by contrast, typically stems from a private motive or a personal crisis of the perpetrator.
The location of the crime supports both scenarios: over 2,000 people were celebrating on the racecourse on Saturday evening. Multiple shots were fired, which is confirmed both by numerous shell casings found at the scene and by video footage.
However, the timing speaks against both terrorism and a mass shooting. The shots were fired shortly after 2.30 a.m. – by that time, the music had already been turned off and most guests were on their way home. Around 100 people remained at the venue. Additionally, a large music festival with significantly more visitors took place in Aarau on the same day, which passed without incident. The perpetrator could have achieved a far greater shock effect elsewhere.
No Apparent Connection Between Victims
A criminal settling of scores is being considered as a third motive, and police are not ruling out a crime of passion. However, concrete evidence for both scenarios is so far lacking. According to police, there is no apparent connection between the deceased Italian woman and the five injured persons.
Shell Casings Point to AK-74 Assault Rifle
A possible indication of the perpetrator's background is provided by the shell casings recovered at the scene: investigators found both 9-millimetre rounds and shell casings in 5.45 × 39 mm calibre. The latter corresponds to the standard ammunition of the Russian AK-74 assault rifle, the lighter successor model to the AK-47.
According to a 2013 study by Cambridge University Press, AK assault rifles are widespread among organised criminal groups because they rarely malfunction and are cheaper than comparable weapons. In Italy, mafia members frequently use this type of weapon. During a raid in Sicily in the late 1990s, police seized 50 AK assault rifles; in 2006, an international arms trafficking ring was dismantled in Naples that had supplied AK rifles to several mafia clans.
The investigation continues. Whether the arrested 43-year-old acted alone or whether co-perpetrators were involved remains unclear until the press conference on Wednesday.
Source: Blick