Woman killed, five hurt in shooting at rave party in Swiss town of Aarau
A 22-year-old woman was shot dead and five others injured at a techno rave in Aarau, Switzerland. Police have launched a manhunt and cordoned off large parts of the town.
Gunman opens fire at rave in Aarau, leaving one dead and five wounded
A 22-year-old woman has been killed and five people injured — some of them seriously — after a gunman opened fire at a rave party in the Swiss town of Aarau, RTÉ News reports.
All of the victims are Swiss residents in their 20s, local police said. A manhunt is under way and large sections of the town, located roughly 50km west of Zurich, have been cordoned off. Armoured vehicles have been stationed near the crime scene, and armed officers are patrolling surrounding streets as police convoys move through the area.
A witness speaking to Reuters said he heard shots shortly after the music stopped at around 2.30am, initially mistaking the sounds for fireworks. Some attendees took cover behind a DJ booth; one woman sheltered behind a refrigerator but was fatally shot.
"It's just incredibly tragic. She was young," the witness told Reuters. "That something like this could happen in Aarau, at a local event, is simply unimaginable. I still can't really process it."
The event had been advertised on the organisers' website as a techno party held at a covered horse racetrack, with approximately 3,500 people expected to attend. Police have appealed to the public for any images or footage of the incident.
Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Europe, though violent shootings remain rare. The country approved tighter gun control legislation in 2019.
Source: RTÉ News