One Killed, Five Wounded in Shooting at Swiss Rave Party
Gunfire erupted at a major techno event in Aarau, triggering a large-scale police operation as authorities search for unidentified suspects
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — One person was killed, and five others were wounded, some seriously, after several shots were fired at a rave party in northern Switzerland early Sunday, police said.
The shooting occurred at a racecourse in Aarau, north of Zurich, where thousands of people had gathered for the annual Aarauer Rave techno event.
Police said the perpetrators' identities remained unknown and that a search operation was underway.
“The search for the perpetrators, whose identities are currently unknown, is under way,” local police said on X, adding that the motive and exact circumstances of the shooting had not yet been established.
Authorities launched what they described as a “large-scale response” following the incident. An AFP journalist reported seeing armed officers deployed along a highway as far as 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the scene.
Swiss newspaper Blick reported that the shooting took place shortly before 3:00 a.m. local time, after the main event had officially ended.
Around 3,500 people attended the annual techno party, which began at 3:00 p.m. Saturday and was scheduled to run until 2:00 a.m. Sunday.
Police spokeswoman Vanessa Rumpold was quoted by Blick as saying that the shooting occurred at the racecourse where the event was being held.
“Several shots were fired within a large group of people,” she said.
Witnesses told Blick that gunfire erupted at around 2:30 a.m., while people were still gathered at the venue. Some partygoers initially believed the sounds were fireworks before realizing they were gunshots.
One witness described hearing a “burst of gunfire,” while others said people fled the area and sought refuge in a nearby gymnasium.
A video posted on social media by a local resident appeared to show deserted streets in Aarau, with what sounded like several gunshots audible in the background.
Swiss media also reported that an army helicopter was deployed in the canton of Aargau, alongside large numbers of police officers, rescue workers and medical teams.
Authorities have not yet released information about the identity of the victim or the injured, and the investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.