Shooting at rave party in Aarau: 22-year-old Italian woman killed, gunman at large
One person was killed and at least five wounded at a rave party near the racecourse in the Swiss town of Aarau. Swiss police continue to search for the gunman.
Women locked in toilet, shots fired outside
Swiss police are continuing an intensive investigation into the shooting at a rave party in Aarau, in which a 22-year-old Italian national lost her life and several attendees were wounded. The gunman or gunmen remain unknown, and the motive for the attack has not yet been established, according to 24ur.
The party at the racecourse had proceeded without incident until the early morning hours. According to the accounts of female attendees, the venue was orderly and the atmosphere calm. Around 2.30 a.m., when the event was drawing to a close and the stage was already largely empty, shots rang out.
Verena K., one of the attendees, described the dramatic moments to Swiss newspaper Blick. She had just come out of a toilet cubicle when she heard bangs. Like many others, she initially thought it was fireworks. But it quickly became clear to her that it was something else — she went back into the cubicle.
"We would have had no chance"
Ten women locked themselves in the toilet together with Verena. They locked the door and waited. Outside they heard isolated screams; they wondered whether the attacker might already be nearby. They called the police immediately.
"We were very frightened. If the gunman had reached us, we would have had no chance," said Verena. While waiting, she felt sick with fear. The door was knocked on several times whilst they waited, but the women did not know who was on the other side, so they did not open it.
According to Verena's estimate, police reached them 20 to 30 minutes later. "That is a very long time when you are waiting there and do not know whether you will make it out alive or whether you will ever see your family again," she said. In those moments she was thinking mainly of her children.
The women left the toilet only when a special unit of the Aargau cantonal police told them it was safe — with hands raised, following the officers' instructions.
Shots fired outside festival area, casings from two weapons
When Verena first stepped outside, she noticed a wounded person on the ground. Other attendees carried him to a corner and pressed cloth to the wound on his abdomen.
The witness believes the shots came from an area outside the festival itself. The security officer responsible for the event expressed the same view to Blick. Verena also has the impression that only one person was not firing — by her estimate there may have been several shooters, though police have not confirmed this so far.
Investigators found ammunition at the scene, or casings, that correspond to two different weapons. According to Blick's reporting, this does not in itself prove in the police's assessment that two individuals fired, however. The investigation remains ongoing, and the question of the precise origin of the shots and the number of attackers has not yet been resolved.
Interviews and departure under police protection
After the immediate danger had ended, police took party attendees to a hall where they were interviewed. They were then transported by special bus and under escort of a special police unit to Aarau railway station, from where they were able to return home.
The identity of the victim — the 22-year-old Italian woman — was confirmed, and investigators continue to search for those responsible for the attack.
Source: 24ur