One killed, 5 injured after shooting at Switzerland rave party; police launch manhunt for suspect

At least one person was killed, and five others were injured, some critically, in a shooting incident at a rave party in northern Switzerland, local police said on Sunday (Aug 30). The attack happened in Schachen, in Aarau, the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. The authorities have urged the public to stay away from the area. The local horse racing track, swimming pool and sports field have been cordoned off.

In a post on X, the police said, “The search for the perpetrators, whose identities are currently unknown, is under way.” They said that they have launched a “large-scale response” to find the perpetrators following the incident, which happened north of Zurich.

The motive and exact circumstances that led to the shooting are unclear at the moment. Several police personnel have also been deployed beyond Aarau “as a precaution,” police said. According to AFP, officers were deployed on the highway up to 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the site of the shooting.

According to the Swiss newspaper Blick, the incident happened before 3:00 am on the sidelines of the Aarauer Rave. About 3,500 people were present at the annual techno party from 3 pm on Saturday (Aug 29) till 2 am on Sunday (Aug 30).

Police spokeswoman Vanessa Rumpold told the newspaper that the shooting happened at the racecourse, where the event was organised.

“Several shots were fired within a large group of people,” she said.

According to witnesses, shots were fired around 2:30 am while the rave was still going on. Many people took shelter in a nearby gymnasium. At first, the partygoers thought the sound was of fireworks. Videos posted on social media showed what sounded like several gunshots in the background.

Media reports said that an army helicopter was also deployed in the region. Several personnel from police, rescue workers and medical teams also rushed to the site.