Mass Shooting at Party in Switzerland… One Dead, Several Injured and Major Security Operation Underway
A shooting during the early hours of Sunday morning left one person dead and five others injured, some of them seriously, during a party held near the horse-racing track in the city of Aarau in northern Switzerland, as police continued searching for the perpetrator or perpetrators.
According to the Swiss newspaper Blick, the shooting took place in Aarau, near the horse-racing track, shortly after 2:30 a.m., while police reported that gunfire had erupted among a large group of people.
The Aargau Cantonal Police said that one person had been killed and five others injured, some of them seriously.
Police confirmed that the search for the unidentified perpetrator or perpetrators was ongoing, noting that the possible motives and the exact circumstances of the incident remained unclear.
Vanessa Rumbold, a spokesperson for the Aargau Cantonal Police, said the incident occurred at the horse-racing track, adding that police still did not know exactly what had happened.
Blick quoted an eyewitness as saying that they heard “repeated gunshots,” while a video obtained by the newspaper captured a succession of gunfire at 2:35 a.m.
Major Security Deployment
Police established a large security perimeter around the area, while a large number of police vehicles, ambulances, and fire engines were deployed to respond to the incident.
Police are conducting checks on people in the vicinity of the cordoned-off area, while officers are carrying their firearms at the ready.
The operation also involved the Aargau cantonal disaster-response unit and a Super Puma helicopter operated by the Swiss Armed Forces.
Police had earlier announced on the X platform that there were “several victims,” before the toll was subsequently clarified as one person killed and five others injured.
Pascal Wintsch, a spokesperson for the Aargau Cantonal Police, said the situation was currently classified as an “exceptional situation,” confirming that the search for the perpetrator was continuing.
He added that the authorities were unable to provide more precise information because the security operation was still underway.
Shooting During a Rave Party
The gunfire occurred during the annual “Aarauer Rave,” a techno music party held at the horse-racing track in Aarau.
Around 3,500 people attended the event, which ran from 3 p.m. on Saturday until 2 a.m. on Sunday.
Police said the shooting most likely occurred at the horse-racing track, adding that several shots had been fired among a large group of people.
One reader reported that her friend had witnessed the incident at the scene and said that the two of them hid underneath the DJ platform, while another reader who was present initially believed that the sounds were coming from fireworks.
Search for the Perpetrator Continues
The identity of the perpetrator or perpetrators remains unknown, and the motives and exact circumstances of the incident have yet to be established.
Authorities have asked people who have photos or videos of the incident to make them available to the police.
Authorities also kept the swimming pool near the Schachen area closed on Sunday.
Police had urged residents to stay away from the area as the security operation and the search for the perpetrator continued.
