GENEVA — A shooting at a rave in the northern Swiss canton of Aargau left one person dead and five injured early Sunday, local police and media reported. Police said they are still looking for potentially more than one suspect.
Aargau cantonal police wrote earlier on X that a 22-year-old woman died of injuries at the scene. Four men and one woman, between 24 and 27 years old, were taken to the hospital with injuries ranging from minor to severe.
All of the victims are residents of Switzerland, police said. They did not release their names in line with Swiss privacy rules.
However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni identified the woman who was killed and two other victims as Italian citizens on Sunday evening.
“I express my deepest condolences for the death of Maria Spinelli, the young Italian woman who was a victim of the tragic shooting in Aarau, Switzerland,” she wrote on X, identifying the dead woman by name.
“My thoughts also go to the other injured individuals, among whom there are two Italian citizens, and to all the people involved in this dramatic event,” she said, adding that she trusts “the work of the Swiss authorities to shed full light on what happened and identify those responsible.”
Earlier on Sunday at a press briefing, Aargau police said all its forces were involved in finding the suspect or suspects.
“The manhunt is continuing nonstop at full speed,” police spokesperson Bernhard Graser told reporters.
He said police had no information yet about possible motives. Asked whether a terrorist attack was a possibility, Graser said that “the fact that the rave was already winding down suggests that’s not the case. A fight could also be a possibility.”
Public shootings are rare in the Alpine country despite relatively widespread gun ownership.
“In terms of its nature, this incident is certainly unique in recent years,” Graser said. “We don’t yet know the full extent of it, but based purely on the circumstances, it is something truly extraordinary. That’s why there’s such a large police presence.”
Authorities were alerted around 2:30 a.m. local time to the shooting in the canton’s capital, Aarau, 29 miles west of Zurich, police spokesperson Pascal Wenzel told Swiss public broadcaster SRF.
At the time of the incident, the “Aarau Rave VOL. 7” was taking place at the horseracing track in Aarau’s Schachen district, SRF reported. The fire department cordoned off a large area around the site.
A major police operation was still underway on Sunday afternoon and locals were asked to stay away from the area scoured by investigators for possible links connected to the crime. Officers, firefighters and ambulances were on the scene in large numbers. Police in Freiburg, in neighboring Germany, also took part in search efforts for the suspect, the German news agency dpa reported.
“Right now, virtually the entire Aargau police force is out on the streets,” Graser said, adding that they had no information on where the suspect or the suspects might be. However, police have ruled out the possibility that they could pose a threat again.
Swiss daily Blick reported that rave visitors initially mistook the shots for fireworks until somebody shouted, “Everyone down.”
The newspaper wrote that the shooting took place right after the event ended. Police later took the remaining visitors to a nearby gym, where many were interrogated, Graser said.
Police asked any witnesses with videos or photos to share them with investigators.
The Aargau Racing Club, which runs the horseracing track, expressed shock at the shooting.
“We extend our deepest sympathy to all those affected and their families, who are facing this difficult and trying situation,” it said on its website. “We would like to thank the emergency responders and all others involved who worked professionally and with dedication on the scene.”
Swiss DJ Tekibo, who performed at the rave, wrote on Instagram that “what happened at Aarauer rave is absolutely heartbreaking.”
“Techno and raves are supposed to be a place for freedom and safety, never a place where something like this happens,” he added.
Aarau has about 22,300 residents. It is about 20 miles south of the German border.
