GENEVA (AP) — A shooting at a rave party in the northern Swiss canton of Aargau left one person dead and five wounded early Sunday, local police and media reported. Police said they are still searching for a suspect. “The search for the unknown perpetrator continues,” the police wrote in X. “The possible motives and exact circumstances of the crime remain unclear.” The cantonal police wrote in X that a 22-year-old woman died from her injuries at the scene. Four men and one woman, ages 24 to 27, were taken to hospital with injuries ranging from minor to serious. All of the victims are residents of Switzerland, police said. They did not reveal their names in accordance with Swiss privacy rules. Authorities were alerted around 2:30 a.m. to the shooting in the canton’s capital, Aarau, 46 kilometers (29 miles) west of Zurich, police spokesman Pascal Wenzel told Swiss public broadcaster SRF. At the time of the incident, the “Aarau Rave VOL. 7” was taking place at the racecourse in the Schachen district of Aarau, SRF reported. The fire department cordoned off a large area around the scene. A major police operation was underway and locals were asked to stay away from the area. Numerous agents, firefighters and ambulances attended the scene. Police in Freiburg, in neighboring Germany, were also involved in search efforts for the suspect, German news agency dpa reported. Swiss newspaper Blick reported that enthusiastic visitors initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks until someone shouted “everyone down.” The newspaper wrote that the shooting took place immediately after the event ended. Police later took all remaining visitors to a nearby gym, Blick reported. Police asked witnesses who had videos or photographs to share with investigators. The Aargau Racing Club, which manages the racecourse, expressed dismay at the shooting. “We express our deepest condolences to all those affected and their families, who are facing this difficult and difficult situation,” it said on its website. “We would like to thank the emergency services and everyone involved who worked professionally and dedicatedly at the scene.” Swiss DJ Tekibo, who performed at the rave, wrote on Instagram that “what happened at the Aarauer rave is absolutely heartbreaking.” “Techno and raves are supposed to be a place for freedom and safety, never a place where something like this happens,” he added. Aarau has around 22,300 inhabitants. It is about 30 kilometers (18 mi) south of the German border.
