Swiss man arrested over fatal shooting at Aarau rave, one Italian woman dead
A 43-year-old Swiss man has been arrested on strong suspicion of carrying out a deadly shooting at an annual rave in Aarau, Switzerland. One Italian woman was killed and five others wounded.
Suspect held after gunfire kills Italian woman at Swiss rave
A 43-year-old Swiss man was apprehended shortly before 1am on Monday in connection with a deadly shooting at an annual rave in Aarau, capital of the northern canton of Aargau, RTÉ News reports.
Aargau cantonal police confirmed the arrest in a statement, saying the man was held "on strong suspicion of having committed the crime." Investigators said they believe a lone perpetrator was responsible and that inquiries into the sequence of events, background and possible motive remain ongoing.
The shooting occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning as the Aarauer Rave was winding down at the town's racecourse. Police said several shots were fired "at a group of people" as partygoers were preparing to leave.
A 22-year-old Italian woman, identified by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as Maria Spinelli, was killed in the attack. "She died instantly, despite attempts to resuscitate her," police said. Five others sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious and were taken to hospital. Aargau police identified those wounded as four Swiss men and a German woman, aged between 24 and 31. Meloni had earlier indicated that two Italians were among the injured.
Aargau police chief Michael Leupold said investigators recovered evidence of two different calibres of weapon — consistent with a pistol or submachine gun and an assault rifle. Leupold said police were pursuing three working hypotheses: a terrorist attack, a mass shooting, or "a simple criminal act, the motive for which remains unknown." He did not rule out the possibility of "a settling of scores within a group, or something entirely different."
The attack triggered an international manhunt before the suspect was detained. Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans met German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt in southern Switzerland, with Jans saying the Swiss authorities were "receiving support" from Berlin and praising the "strong cooperation" between the two countries' police forces.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin extended his condolences to the family of the victim on Sunday evening. "My thoughts are also with all those who have been injured; I wish them a speedy and full recovery," he wrote on X. "My deepest sympathy goes out to everyone affected by this tragic event."
The rave's organisers said they were "devastated" by the attack. "The insidious attack on the guests at the Aarauer Rave has broken our hearts," they wrote on their website. "A rave should always be a place of joy and love. Never a place where people are killed, injured or left in fear."
Police urged anyone with video footage to come forward. A press conference has been scheduled for Wednesday. Shootings are rare in Switzerland despite widespread gun ownership.
Source: RTÉ News