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Rave shooting in Aarau
A shooting at a rave party in the Swiss town of Aarau killed a 22-year-old woman and injured five people, some seriously, as local police said on Sunday.
“A 22-year-old woman has been killed and five people injured”
Reuters reported that a 34-year-old witness told it he heard shots shortly after the music stopped at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, which he initially mistook for fireworks.
Police said a manhunt was underway and large areas of Aarau were cordoned off, while Cantonal police in Aargau appealed to the public for any film or pictures of the incident.
The incident was linked by police and media to the Aarauer Rave at the Schachen horse racing track, with Reuters saying the organisers’ website advertised the event as a techno party at a covered horse racetrack and expected 3,500 people to attend.
CNN added that Aargau Cantonal Police said four men and one woman, aged 24 to 27, were being treated in hospital for injuries ranging from minor to severe.
Witnesses, police, and DJ
A Reuters witness described the moment he thought the gunfire was fireworks, saying, "It's just incredibly tragic. She was young," after a woman hid behind a refrigerator but was hit in the back by a bullet and bled to death despite efforts to revive her.
Police spokeswoman Vanessa Rumpold told Blick that the shooting happened at the racecourse where the event was held, and she said, "Several shots were fired within a large group of people," as the manhunt continued.
CNN reported that Swiss DJ Tekibo, who played at the rave, wrote on Instagram that the incident was "heartbreaking," adding that "Techno and raves should be places of freedom and safety, never places where something like this happens," in a statement that did not elaborate on his loss.
The search for perpetrators remained ongoing as police said motives and exact circumstances were not yet known, and they increased their presence beyond the town as a precaution.
Reuters footage showed armed officers patrolling the area, police convoys moving through the streets, and armoured vehicles parked near the crime scene.
Manhunt and public safety
Police said the search for the perpetrators, whose identities were currently unknown, was under way, and they launched what Le Monde described as a "large-scale response" after the incident in Aarau north of Zurich.
“Police launched what they called a "large-scale response"”
Le Monde reported that Swiss newspaper Blick said the shots were fired before 3:00 am local time on the sidelines of the Aarauer Rave, while Reuters said the witness heard shots shortly after the music stopped at 2:30 a.m.
Authorities asked members of the public to stay away from the area as a large area around the venue was cordoned off, and NewsNation reported that locals were asked to stay away while a major police operation was underway.
NewsNation also said police asked any witnesses with videos or photos to share them with investigators, and it reported that police in Freiburg, in neighboring Germany, took part in search efforts for the suspect.
The Aargau Racing Club, which runs the horse tracking track, expressed shock and said on its website, "We extend our deepest sympathy to all those affected and their families," while Swiss DJ Tekibo wrote that "what happened at Aarauer rave is absolutely heartbreaking."