Switzerland rave shooting: Manhunt underway after gunfire leaves one dead, several critical

Geneva: A shooting at a rave party in northern Switzerland left one person dead and five others injured, some critically, local police reported Sunday.

"The search for the perpetrators, whose identities are currently unknown, is under way," authorities stated on X, adding that the motives and precise background remain unclear.

Law enforcement initiated a "large-scale response" to track down the assailants following the incident in Aarau, situated north of Zurich.

An AFP reporter observed armed officers stationed along the motorway up to 30 kilometres (18 miles) from where the gunfire occurred.

Swiss news outlet Blick reported on its website that shots rang out shortly before 3.00 a.m. (0100 GMT) on the fringe of the Aarauer Rave.

Approximately 3,500 people had gathered for the annual techno event, which ran from 3.00 p.m. Saturday to 2.00 a.m. Sunday.

Police spokeswoman Vanessa Rumpold was cited by the newspaper as confirming that the shooting took place at the racecourse hosting the event.

"Several shots were fired within a large group of people," she added.

Bystanders told Blick that gunfire broke out at around 2.30 a.m. while the event was ongoing, prompting many attendees to seek shelter in a nearby gymnasium. Several revellers initially mistook the sounds for pyrotechnics.

One witness described the incident to the newspaper as a "burst of gunfire".

An Aarau resident shared social media footage depicting empty streets with the audible sound of multiple gunshots in the background.

Media outlets reported that a military helicopter was deployed over the cantonal capital of Aargau, alongside numerous police units, emergency responders, and medical personnel.

AFP