A manhunt is underway after a deadly shooting at a rave in northern Switzerland overnight into Sunday, police said.<\/p>\n
Aargau Cantonal Police said one person was killed and five others were wounded after shots were fired at the event in the town of Aarau, a scenic area known for its lush valleys, medieval castles and thermal springs.<\/p>\n
A 22-year-old woman died at the scene, police said, while four men and one woman, aged 24 to 27, are being treated in hospital for injuries ranging from minor to severe.<\/p>\n
All of the victims held Swiss residency, police said. CNN affiliate Sky24 reported that the woman who died was an Italian national.<\/p>\n
The shooting happened at the Schachen horse racing track in the town, police said. A rave was being held at the venue at the time, according to social media posts from the event organizers.<\/p>\n
The shooter’s motive and the exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear, police said.<\/p>\n
Swiss DJ Tekibo, who played at the rave, took to his Instagram to write a statement describing the incident as “heartbreaking.”<\/p>\n
“Techno and raves should be places of freedom and safety, never places where something like this happens,” he wrote. The DJ added that he “lost an important friend,” without elaborating.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Swiss news outlet Blick, one eyewitness said he initially thought the gunshots were fireworks.<\/p>\n
“At 2:30 a.m. the music suddenly stopped, and after a minute or two I suddenly heard the gunshots\u2026I thought it was fireworks and didn’t think anything of it,” he was cited as saying.<\/p>\n
As he walked across an open yard, he recalled hearing a shot ring out and seeing that a woman had been hit. Despite attempts to save her, she succumbed to her injuries, the eyewitness told Blick.<\/p>\n
A large area around the venue has been cordoned off, and police have asked members of the public to stay away from the area.<\/p>\n
Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Europe, although shootings are rare. In 2019, Swiss voters approved tighter gun control rules in a national referendum.<\/p>\n
Switzerland’s deadliest mass shooting occurred in 2001, when a gunman killed 14 politicians in what became known as the Zug massacre.<\/p>\n