Shots fired at Aarau rave: 43-year-old arrested, police silent for 48 hours
A 22-year-old woman was shot dead at a rave on the Schachen horse-racing track in Aarau, with five others injured. A suspect has been arrested – but details remain confidential for now.
Arrest following fatal rave – Aargau police provide little information
Shots ring out shortly after 2.30 a.m. on Sunday morning on the grounds of the Schachen horse-racing track in Aarau. A rave party is taking place on the site at that time. In a circulating video, rapid gunfire can be heard at 2.35 a.m. Eye-witnesses describe panic: people taking shelter, others fleeing the site.
22-year-old Maria S. is fatally struck. Five other people suffer injuries, some serious; two of them have since been discharged from hospital.
As Google News CH – Crime (de) reports, it becomes clear already on Sunday that the case is more complex than initially assumed. The police confirm that shots were fired at two different locations – allegedly with two different weapons. Cartridge casings of two different calibres were recovered. A nearby traveller encampment also came under investigation; a vehicle was struck by a bullet. The police believe that the five injured and the deceased have no connection to one another – describing them as possible random victims.
Arrest shortly before midnight
In the night moving into Monday, investigators make a decisive breakthrough: shortly before one o'clock, a 43-year-old Swiss national is stopped and arrested on suspicion of the crime. The police currently believe they are dealing with a lone perpetrator. They remain silent on exactly where the arrest took place. Tele M1 reported on Monday evening that the arrest took place outside the canton of Aargau.
There are as yet no details regarding the suspect's possible motive or background. A detailed press conference is not scheduled until Wednesday at 2 p.m. – more than 48 hours after the arrest.
Experts explain the silence
Why so little information, why this long wait? Basle-based former detective chief Markus Melzl considers the secrecy around the arrest location understandable. "It is highly likely a matter of criminal tactics," he says. It is conceivable, for instance, "that the perpetrator was arrested in another canton and further investigations are pending there". When it comes to motive, the police simply must continue investigating: "It is quite possible that the police currently know little or nothing about the perpetrator's background or motive."
Stephan Reinhardt, former commander of the Aargau cantonal police, shares this assessment. "First, the suspect must be questioned extensively in the presence of a lawyer," he explains. The statements would then be compared with the findings so far. "If the suspicion is substantiated, a detention order will be requested," says Reinhardt. The processes require time and are "subject to criminal procedural deadlines". On the matter of motive, one can only comment once the initial questioning is complete – and it must be ruled out "that there is no need to continue searching for additional perpetrators, accomplices and so on".
48-hour deadline for remand
Criminal law expert André Kuhn refers to another deadline: "One has exactly 48 hours to file an application for remand at the court for compulsory measures." An arrest therefore does not yet mean the case is solved. The term "strong suspicion of the offence" is merely sufficient for a provisional arrest. "The term does not automatically mean that the prosecutor is certain they have the right perpetrator," says Kuhn.
Until the press conference on Wednesday, investigators are "under pressure," according to Kuhn. The aim is to secure solid evidence – such as fingerprints or DNA on cartridge casings. As long as it is unclear whether the suspicion is substantiated or weakened, the authorities will rarely disclose details: "The risk is too great of undermining their own investigation – or ending up under scrutiny if the suspect is ultimately released."
Source: Google News CH — Crime (de)