Manhunt
Swiss police were on Sunday hunting at least one gunman who opened fire at a rave, killing one person and wounding five others, some of them seriously. The shooting, which happened in the early hours in Aarau, near Zurich, and sent partygoers running for cover, is a rare event in the Alpine nation, despite its long tradition of gun ownership.
"A 22-year-old woman died of her injuries at the scene. Four men and one woman, aged between 24 and 27, were taken to hospital. They are suffering from injuries ranging from minor to serious," local police announced on X.
Investigators are still in the dark about the attacker or attackers, police spokesman Bernhard Graser told reporters. "For the moment, we have no reliable information regarding the perpetrators. We do not know whether it is a single person or several, nor whether they fled in a vehicle or on foot. Certain elements suggest they may no longer be in the area, but we have still deployed a significant police presence in the region so that we can arrest them if they are still there."
The area of the shooting remains sealed off, as officers search for clues and interview eyewitnesses. An AFP journalist saw armed officers deployed at the scene, the railway station and on the highway up to 30 kilometres away. With the German border just a few dozen kilometres away, the investigation is being carried out in cooperation with Freiburg police.
Several shots
Media reports said an army helicopter was deployed in the cantonal capital, Aargau, as well as numerous police officers, rescue workers and medical teams. Police spokesperson Vanessa Rumpold told the Blick newspaper that "several shots" were fired at a large group of people.
Witnesses told Blick that shots were fired at about 2:30am while the rave was still taking place. Initially, they were believed to be fireworks but one witness reported "shots fired in bursts". Many people sheltered in a nearby gymnasium for safety.
Swiss DJ Tekibo, who performed at the rave, wrote on Instagram that he was physically unharmed but deeply affected by the tragedy, in which he said he had lost a friend. "Techno and raves are supposed to be spaces of freedom and safety, never places where something like this happens," he said, calling the events "absolutely heartbreaking".