Swiss Police are on the hunt after a fatal shooting at a rave in Aarau left an Italian woman dead and five others injured.
The incident, which took place at a horse‑racing track late Sunday night, has sent police, firefighters and the regional disaster response unit scrambling to secure the site. Four men and a woman, aged 24‑27, were hospitalized with injuries ranging from minor to severe. Maria Spinelli, a 22‑year‑old from Italy, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Aarau’s cantonal police spokesman, Michael Leupold, told reporters that officers were searching across the country for the perpetrator but had yet to identify any suspects. He added that the gunman, if still in the area, was not in Aarau.
Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni assured that Swiss authorities would “shed full light” on the event. The Italian foreign ministry has dispatched officials to Zurich to support the investigation, and two other Italians were lightly wounded and have since returned home.
Per the police, the shootout began around 02:30 local time (00:30 GMT) as a DJ was finishing a set. One witness, who later shared a short video, said he heard gunshots minutes after the music stopped and initially mistook them for fireworks.
The scene has been heavily cordoned, with white and red tape marking the perimeter, while armed officers in riot gear patrol the streets. A Swiss Army helicopter and armored vehicles were spotted near the track, and officers have been deployed up to 30 km from the site as a precautionary measure.
The shooting, the most serious in Switzerland since 2001, raises concerns in a nation known for high gun ownership. Police are reviewing all CCTV footage, and the public has been urged to submit photographs and videos from the scene to support the inquiry.
