Shots fired at rave in Aargau canton: 22-year-old dead, Swiss man arrested
A 22-year-old Italian woman was shot dead at a rave in the Swiss canton of Aargau, with five further people injured. Police arrested a 43-year-old Swiss man.
Suspect in custody following fatal shots at Aarau rave
A 43-year-old Swiss man was arrested on Monday shortly before 1.00 a.m. on strong suspicion of committing the crime, according to ORF citing the Aargau cantonal police. He is suspected of shooting a 22-year-old Italian woman at the Aarau rave and injuring five further people, some of them seriously. The motive remains unclear.
The victims – a German woman and four Swiss nationals aged between 24 and 27 – are out of danger, according to a police spokeswoman. The young Italian woman was killed at the scene.
Three hypotheses, two weapons
Police commander Michael Leupold named three equally weighted hypotheses: terrorist attack, rampage shooting or a settling of scores in criminal circles. He assumes the victims were random targets; the affected persons did not know each other.
Initially, the authorities reported that numerous shots had been fired from at least two weapons. Two different cartridge casings were recovered – consistent with a pistol or submachine gun and an assault rifle. Despite these findings, police are currently assuming a single perpetrator.
Around 3,500 visitors on the grounds
The event on the grounds of the Aargau Racing Association is regarded as the largest rave in northwestern Switzerland and has taken place at the same location for years. At the time of the shooting, shortly after the event ended, there were still "well over 100" people on the grounds according to police. In total, around 3,500 visitors had been present.
The first emergency calls came in shortly after the end of the event. As the seriousness of the situation was immediately apparent, emergency services arrived in large numbers. All remaining visitors were subsequently taken to a sports hall.
Witnesses: shots initially mistaken for fireworks
Several witnesses described the sequence of events to the Swiss tabloid newspaper "Blick". One woman reported that visitors initially mistook the shots for fireworks. Then someone shouted "Everyone down!", whereupon the group hid under the DJ booth. "It was terrible," said the witness.
Police asked the public to submit video and image material via the Instagram channel of the Aargau cantonal police.
Reactions from home and abroad
The Aargau Racing Association expressed its sympathy to all those affected. "The Aarau rave party was overshadowed by a serious incident," the association said in a statement. The organiser wrote on its website: "The treacherous attack on the guests of the Aarau rave has broken our hearts."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also expressed her deepest condolences to the family of the deceased compatriot. Her thoughts were also with the injured and all those involved in the incident, her office stated. She is following developments through a taskforce of the Italian Foreign Ministry.
According to the Aargau cantonal police, investigations into the precise sequence of events as well as the circumstances and motives are ongoing.
Source: ORF