In the early hours of Sunday, a gunman opened fire at a techno rave held at the Schachen race track in Aarau, Switzerland. Italian national Maria Spinelli, 22, was killed at the scene while four men and a woman were taken to hospital with injuries ranging from minor to severe.
Swiss police launched a coordinated, national manhunt, but at the moment have no leads on who may be responsible. The shooting took place just after midnight, around 02:30 local time, when the event was scheduled to finish.
The incident occurred one hour after a DJ who was set to perform until 02:00 said the shooting happened straight after their set. The event was attended by up to 3,500 people, but organisers had no warning of any threat until the shots rang out.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed confidence that Swiss authorities would bring full light to the incident and identify all those responsible.
Italian officials are monitoring the situation closely; the foreign ministry dispatched officials to Zurich and the Italian Embassy in Bern, while Consulate in Zurich remains involved. Two other Italians were slightly injured and returned home.
Police cordoned off the area around the racetrack, the town swimming pool and sports field, and urged the public to stay away. The police force has deployed officers in riot gear and an armored vehicle. Authorities also deployed a Swiss Army helicopter to survey the area in early hours.
Meanwhile, the regional disaster response unit (KKE) was brought in to support the police and fire services. An eyewitness, who initially thought the gunshots were fireworks, reported being told to hide by a man and a woman—a woman who was later shot.
Although Switzerland has the highest rates of gun ownership in Europe, such violent shootings are rare. The last major shooting in Switzerland occurred in 2001 when 14 members of the Zug parliament and local government were killed by a gunman who took his own life.
Any new evidence will be taken seriously, police said, stressing that the strong presence at the crime scene remains. With no suspects in place, the investigation continues with cooperation from German authorities as well.
