A shooting at a party in the northern Swiss canton of Aargau left one person dead and five injured 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. Public shootings are rare in the Alpine country despite relatively widespread gun ownership. Authorities were alerted around 2:30 a.m. about the shooting in the canton’s capital, Aarau, 47 kilometers 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 Aarau racecourse. Schachen district, SRF reported. Firefighters 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 visitors initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks until someone shouted “everyone down.” The newspaper wrote that the shooting took place just after the event ended. Police later took all remaining visitors to a nearby gym, Blick reported. Police asked witnesses with videos or photographs to share them 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 first responders 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 should be a place for freedom and safety, never a place where something like this happens,” he added. More from CBS News Go deeper with The Free Press in:
