A 22-year-old woman was killed and five others injured, including one seriously, after a shooting at a rave in the Swiss town of Aarau early Sunday, with police investigating the possibility of terrorism.
Authorities said all six victims were Swiss residents in their 20s. Italy’s Foreign Ministry also said Swiss authorities had informed them that an Italian woman was among those killed, and offered support for the investigation.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressed his condolences to the victim’s family and everyone affected by the incident.
“My full sympathy goes to all people affected by this tragic event,” he said in a social media post.
Police have launched a nationwide manhunt and cordoned off large parts of Aarau, while appealing to the public to provide photographs or videos that could help investigators identify the attacker or attackers.
However, authorities said the investigation was still in its early stages and they had yet to establish how many gunmen were involved or determine a motive.
Aargau Police Commander Michael Leupold said investigators were considering three possible explanations — terrorism, a mass shooting or another criminal motive — and were treating all possibilities as equally likely.
“The end is not in sight,” Leupold told reporters, adding that an attack involving an active shooter firing into a crowd of thousands meant terrorism had to be considered.
A 34-year-old witness, who requested anonymity, told Reuters that he heard gunshots shortly after the music stopped at around 2.30am. He initially thought the sounds were fireworks.
According to the witness, people scrambled for cover, with some hiding behind the DJ booth while one woman took shelter behind a refrigerator. She was struck in the back by a bullet and later died despite attempts to revive her.
Police confirmed that the 22-year-old victim died at the scene, while another person suffered serious injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Authorities have also expanded their police presence across the area as a precaution. Aarau is located about 50km west of Zurich and around 30km south of the German border.
Police spokesperson Bernhard Graser said there were indications that the suspected shooter or shooters had left the immediate area, but officers remained deployed throughout the town and canton as the search continued.
Armed officers, police convoys and armoured vehicles were seen around the crime scene as the manhunt continued. Investigators also found ammunition casings suggesting that two different calibres had been used, potentially involving a pistol and a larger weapon such as an assault rifle or machine gun.
The event had been promoted as a techno rave at a covered horse racetrack, with organisers expecting around 3,500 people to attend.
Organisers said they were devastated by the shooting, stressing that such events were intended to provide a safe environment for people to enjoy themselves.
“A rave should always be a place of joy and love, never a place where people are killed, injured, or left in fear,” they said.
Although Switzerland has one of Europe’s highest rates of gun ownership, violent shootings remain uncommon. The country introduced tighter gun control measures in 2019.
