A shooting at a rave in Switzerland’s northern canton of Aargau left one person dead and five others injured early Sunday, local police and media reported. Police were searching for potentially more than one suspect.
Aargau cantonal police said a 22-year-old woman died from her injuries at the scene. Four men and one woman, aged between 24 and 27, were taken to hospital with injuries ranging from minor to serious.
Police said all six victims were residents of Switzerland and withheld their names in accordance with the country’s privacy laws.
However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni identified the woman who died as an Italian citizen, along with two other victims. In a post on X, she expressed condolences over the death of Maria Spinelli, whom she described as a young Italian woman killed in the shooting in Aarau.
Meloni also expressed concern for the other injured victims, including the two Italian citizens, and said she trusted Swiss authorities to determine what happened and identify those responsible.
At a press briefing Sunday, Aargau police said virtually all available forces were involved in the search for the suspect or suspects.
“The manhunt is continuing nonstop at full speed,” police spokesperson Bernhard Graser told reporters.
He said police had yet to establish a possible motive. Asked whether terrorism could be a possibility, Graser said the fact that the rave was already coming to an end made that scenario unlikely, while a fight could also have triggered the shooting.
Public shootings are uncommon in Switzerland despite relatively widespread gun ownership.
“In terms of its nature, this incident is certainly unique in recent years,” Graser said, describing the incident as extraordinary and explaining the large police presence at the scene.
Police were alerted to the shooting around 2:30 a.m. local time in Aarau, the capital of Aargau, about 46 kilometers (29 miles) west of Zurich, police spokesperson Pascal Wenzel told Swiss public broadcaster SRF.
The “Aarau Rave VOL. 7” was being held at a horse racing track in the Schachen district of Aarau when the shooting occurred, SRF reported. Firefighters cordoned off a large area around the site.
A major police operation continued Sunday afternoon, with residents urged to stay away from the area as investigators searched for evidence and possible links to the crime. Large numbers of police officers, firefighters and ambulance crews were deployed. Police from Freiburg in neighboring Germany also joined the search for the suspect, German news agency dpa reported.
“Right now, virtually the entire Aargau police force is out on the streets,” Graser said, adding that authorities had no information about the whereabouts of the suspect or suspects. He said, however, that police had ruled out the possibility of an immediate further threat.
Swiss daily Blick reported that people attending the rave initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks before someone shouted for everyone to get down.
The shooting occurred shortly after the event ended, the newspaper reported. Police later took remaining attendees to a nearby gym, where many were questioned, Graser said.
Authorities appealed to witnesses who had photos or videos of the incident to provide them to investigators.
The Aargau Racing Club, which operates the horse racing track, said it was shocked by 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, while thanking emergency responders and others involved in the operation.
Swiss DJ Tekibo, who performed at the rave, wrote on Instagram that the incident was “absolutely heartbreaking.”
“Techno and raves are supposed to be a place for freedom and safety, never a place where something like this happens,” he said.
Aarau has a population of about 22,300 and lies around 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the German border.