Shots at rave party in Aarau: One dead, five injured

Shots were fired on the sidelines of a rave party in Aarau in northern Switzerland. One person was killed and five others were injured, some seriously, the Aarau cantonal police said on Sunday. A major police operation is underway. The public was asked to stay away from the area. No further details were initially provided.

Local media reported that the ongoing police operation could mean that suspects were still being sought. The Swiss newspaper “Blick” reported that the shots were fired before 3 a.m. on the edge of the “Aarauer Rave”. It is a techno party from Saturday afternoon to Sunday night with around 3,500 visitors at the Aarau racecourse.

The incident was localized to the “horse racing track,” “Blick” quoted police spokeswoman Vanessa Rumpold as saying. The police could confirm “several shots were fired in a larger group of people”.

Several witnesses spoke to “Blick”. At first, the visitors thought the shots were fireworks, said one woman. Then someone said “Everyone down!” called. The group then hid under the DJ booth.

A woman was hit by a bullet. All visitors to the rave were taken to a gym by the police. “It was terrible,” the witness told the newspaper. The whole thing happened immediately after the end of the event.