Switzerland: At least one dead and five injured in a shooting at a rave in Aarau

A shooting in the early hours of Sunday morning cut short the annual Aarauer Rave at the Schachen racetrack, west of Aarau. The Aargau cantonal police are currently reporting one death and five injuries, some of them serious. The perpetrators remain unidentified.

Shots fired into the crowd

According to initial official reports, the shots were fired shortly after 2:30 a.m. (local time), on the outskirts of the techno party. Police spokeswoman Vanessa Rumpold told the newspaper Blick that there were "several shots fired into a large crowd of people." The motive and exact circumstances are not yet known.

The event, billed as Aarau Rave VOL. 7, drew about 3,500 attendees from 3 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday. According to AFP, some witnesses said they initially mistook the explosions for fireworks. Others described a burst of gunfire. Part of the crowd took refuge in a nearby gym.

Highway and helicopter manhunt

The Aargau Cantonal Police launched what it described as a large-scale operation. On X, it asked the public to stay away from Schachen. An AFP reporter saw armed officers on the highway up to 18 miles from the site. Local media reported a helicopter, in some reports an Army Super Puma, as well as ambulances, firefighters and medical teams.

The swimming pool in Aarau remained closed due to the operation. Police asked anyone with videos or photos to send them to their channels.

Aarau, the capital of the canton of Aargau, is located north of Zurich. Until the investigation progresses, authorities are asking people not to approach the area and to treat the casualty figures as preliminary.