Key takeaways:
- One person died and five were injured, some seriously, in an early Sunday shooting in Aarau, Switzerland.
- Aargau Cantonal Police said the suspect was unknown and the motive and circumstances remained unclear.
- Police cordoned off the area near the Schachen horse racing track and asked witnesses to submit photos or video.
Swiss police launched a manhunt Sunday after a shooting at a rave in northern Switzerland killed one person and injured five others, some seriously, authorities said.
The shooting happened early Sunday in Aarau, the capital of the canton of Aargau, near a horse racing track in the Schachen district, about 29 miles west of Zurich. Police said the suspect remained at large and appealed to the public for help.
“The manhunt for the unknown perpetrator is under way,” Aargau Cantonal Police said in a statement, according to the BBC. In a post on X, police wrote: “The search for the unknown perpetrator is ongoing. Possible motives and the exact circumstances of the crime remain unclear.”
Police spokesperson Pascal Wenzel told Swiss public broadcaster SRF that officers were alerted to the shooting at about 2:30 a.m. At the time, the “Aarau Rave VOL. 7” was taking place at the horse racing track, SRF reported. The BBC reported that a rave had been scheduled in the area into the early hours of Sunday.
Authorities said one person was killed and five others were injured. CBS News, citing local police and media, reported that some of the injured were seriously hurt.
A large security operation was underway around the site. Police and firefighters cordoned off a broad area near the racing track, the town swimming pool and a sports field, and officials urged residents and members of the public to stay away. Police said a large contingent of officers had also been deployed beyond Aarau “as a precaution,” according to the BBC.
Images from Aarau early Sunday showed a heavy police presence, with an armored vehicle blocking a road, the BBC reported. SRF reported that, in addition to police and fire officials, the regional disaster response unit known as KKE was deployed. The broadcaster also reported that a Swiss Army helicopter was seen surveying the area in the early hours.
Police asked witnesses, including anyone with photographs or video from the scene, to share the material with investigators.
Swiss daily Blick reported that some visitors initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks until someone shouted, “everyone down.” The newspaper also reported that the shooting occurred right after the rave ended.
Authorities have not released the identity of the person killed, details about the injured, or any description of the suspect. Police said the motive and the exact circumstances of the shooting remained unclear as the search continued.
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