Shooter arrested after fatal attack at Aarau rave
A 43-year-old Swiss man was arrested on 31 August after allegedly opening fire at the Aarau rave, killing one woman and injuring five other people.
Arrest following shooting at Aarau rave
A 43-year-old Swiss man was arrested on Monday morning, 31 August, on strong suspicion of opening fire at the Aarau rave in the night of Sunday, killing one woman and injuring five other people. This is reported by The Local Switzerland, citing the Aargau cantonal police.
The police stated in a statement that the man was detained during the night and "subsequently arrested on strong suspicion of the crime". At present, it is assumed that he acted alone.
One dead, five injured
According to local media, the shots were fired shortly before 3:00 am near the Aarau rave, an annual techno party at Aarau racecourse that attracted around 3,500 visitors from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning.
"A 22-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Four men and one woman aged between 24 and 27 were taken to hospital. They sustained injuries ranging from minor to severe," the Aargau cantonal police stated on X.
The deceased woman was identified by the Italian government as an Italian national. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni named her as Maria Spinelli. The Italian Foreign Ministry also confirmed that two other Italian nationals were slightly injured. Officials from the Italian embassy in Switzerland travelled to the scene to "closely monitor the investigation". According to police, all victims were resident in Switzerland.
Shots from two directions – three hypotheses
Police commander Michael Leupold stated that investigators had secured casings of two different calibres – from a pistol or submachine gun and from an assault rifle. The shots were fired from two different positions: from the rave site itself and from an adjacent caravan park.
Leupold outlined three investigative hypotheses: "The first is a terrorist attack, the second is a massacre, and the third is a common crime whose motive remains unknown." At the time of going to press, no confirmed findings regarding the arrested man's motive were available.
Witnesses told newspaper Blick that shots were fired around 2:30 am while the rave was still in full swing. Initially, the detonations were mistaken for fireworks, though an eyewitness described "shots fired in bursts".
Large-scale deployment and cooperation with Germany
A military helicopter was deployed in the cantonal capital, along with numerous police officers, rescue workers and medical personnel. An AFP journalist observed armed officers on the motorway up to 30 kilometres from the scene. As the German border is only several dozen kilometres away, the investigation is being conducted in cooperation with Freiburg police, according to news agency DPA.
Many party-goers sought refuge in a nearby sports hall. The area surrounding the scene was cordoned off as officers secured evidence and questioned eyewitnesses. The Aargau cantonal police appealed to the public to avoid the area and called for video or image material from the rave.
"Techno should be a place of freedom"
Swiss DJ Tekibo, who had performed at the rave, wrote on Instagram that he was physically unharmed but deeply shaken. He stated that he had lost a friend in the attack.
"Techno and raves should be places of freedom and safety, never places where something like this happens," he wrote, describing the events as "absolutely heartbreaking". "I am still trying to process what happened because I lost an important friend and the right words fail me."
A resident in Aarau published a video on social media showing deserted streets with the sound of multiple shots in the background.
Weapons widespread in Switzerland
The Aargau cantonal police continue to investigate the exact sequence of events. Swiss military personnel are permitted to keep their service weapons at home, but without ammunition. The Geneva-based research centre Small Arms Survey identified more than 2.3 million firearms in civilian ownership in 2017 – nearly three weapons per ten residents. This placed Switzerland 16th worldwide in terms of firearms density per capita. A national weapons register does not exist.
Source: The Local Switzerland