Shots fired at Aarau rave: 22-year-old killed, six others injured
Multiple shots were fired at the "Aarau Rave VOL. 7" on the horse racing track in Schachen during the night into Sunday. An Italian woman died and five other people were injured.
Fatal shots at Aarau rave – nationwide manhunt underway
A 22-year-old woman was killed in a shooting attack at a rave event in Aarau during the night into Sunday. Six further people were injured, some seriously. SRF reported that those responsible remain at large and are being sought nationwide.
The victims
The deceased was an Italian national resident in Switzerland. She succumbed to her injuries on site. Among the injured are a German national and four male Swiss nationals aged 24 to 31, who were transported to hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to serious. According to the current status of the Aargau Cantonal Police, no one is in life-threatening condition. The police believe the victims were random.
The Aargau Cantonal Police has set up an information line for relatives and witnesses: 062 835 62 62.
Diplomatic reactions from Italy
Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis expressed his condolences to his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani by telephone and assured Italy of support in the investigation. Tajani thanked him for the expression of solidarity. The Italian crisis team was already looking after the victim's family, the Italian Foreign Ministry reported. Representatives of the Italian embassy in Bern and a liaison officer from the State Police are to travel to the crime scene to accompany the investigation.
Later on Sunday afternoon, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also expressed her sympathy to the deceased's relatives. Her thoughts were with the injured and all those involved in the incident, Meloni said according to her office. She was monitoring developments through an Italian Foreign Ministry task force.
The perpetrator(s) – still unknown
The Aargau Cantonal Police is conducting a nationwide large-scale manhunt for those responsible. In addition to Swiss authorities, investigators from neighbouring countries are involved in the investigation. There are currently no indications as to whether one or multiple people fired shots. However, the police believe that those responsible are no longer in Aarau.
Three hypotheses regarding motive
The motive and exact circumstances of the act remain unclear. Cantonal Police Commander Michael Leupold named three hypotheses on Sunday evening: a terrorist attack, a shooting spree, or a criminal settling of scores in the underworld.
Shots were fired in two different locations on the Schachen site, Leupold said. The police assume a larger number of shots were fired. Shell casings of two different calibres were found – including pistol ammunition and cartridges from a rifle, such as an assault rifle.
The course of events that night
At the time of the incident, "Aarau Rave VOL. 7" was taking place on the Aarau Schachen. The organisers had expected around 2,500 people. The party, originally scheduled from Saturday afternoon until 2 a.m., had already ended at the time of the shooting. According to the authorities' assessment, around one hundred people were still on the site at that time.
A witness told the Aargau regional television channel M1 that the music ended at 2:30 a.m. Most guests had then moved towards the exit. Within minutes, shots were fired. "At first it sounded like fireworks or firecrackers. Only after a few people said: 'Duck down, they're shooting!' did a few people realise what was happening and hid behind the bar's fridge." A woman lay on the ground, struck by a shot, and died on site.
After the shots were fired, more than one hundred ravers were questioned by police in a gymnasium.
Large deployment of emergency services
The Cantonal Police immediately alerted all available units. Since Sunday night, practically all Aargau police officers have been on duty, according to a spokesperson. Other cantons also provided personnel. The Cantonal Disaster Response Unit (KKE) of the Canton of Aargau and the special unit Argus were also deployed. An Army Super Puma helicopter was also in operation. German police are participating in the manhunt within the framework of regular cross-border police cooperation, confirmed a spokesperson for Freiburg Police (Germany) to news agency DPA.
Source: SRF