Swiss police report 1 dead, 5 injured in Aarau shooting

· DW

The shooting happened outside a rave in the northern Swiss town of Aarau. Police said they were still searching for the perpetrators.

One person has died ​after a ​shooting ​at ‌a rave ​in Aarau, Switzerland, ​police said Sunday.

Five other people were wounded in the incident, some of them seriously, the police added.

A "manhunt" for the "unknown perpetrators" is underway, the police said in a statement on X, adding that the motive and the exact circumstances of the incident were still unclear. 

A large contingent of the Aargau Cantonal Police has been deployed and a probe into the incident has begun, the police said.

Police presence has also been stepped up beyond Aarau as a precaution, they added.

Police officers patrolling a street in downtown AarauImage: Michael Buholzer/KEYSTONE/picture alliance

The Cantonal police earlier said that a ‌major ​operation was ongoing following the shooting and had asked people to stay away from the area.

They have also appealed to people to share any videos or images of the incident.

According to Swiss newspaper Blick, the shots were fired before 3:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) during the annual Aarauer Rave.

The newspaper quoted police spokeswoman Vanessa Rumpold as saying that the shooting occurred at the Schachen race course where the techno party was being held.

Aarau is located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Zurich.

Police blocked off streets near the horse racing track where the rave was taking placeImage: Michael Buholzer/KEYSTONE/picture alliance

Edited by: Natalie Muller

Don't let the algorithm hide the news. If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google by clicking here and hitting the "star" or "preferred" button, so you'll always see our verified news first.