A shooting during a public concert in the northern Swiss canton of Aargau left one person dead and five others injured early Sunday, local police and media reported. Police said they are still searching for more than one suspect.
Aargau canton police previously wrote on X that a 22-year-old woman died of her injuries at the scene. Four men and a woman, between the ages of 24 and 27, were taken to hospital with injuries ranging from minor to serious.
Police said that all the victims were residents of Switzerland. They did not reveal their names in line with Swiss privacy rules.
“The chase continues without stopping and at full speed,” police spokesman Bernhard Graesser told reporters on Sunday afternoon.
He added that the police do not yet have information about possible motives. In response to a question about whether a terrorist attack was possible, Graser said, “The fact that the party was about to end suggests that is not the case. Fighting could also be a possibility.”
Public shootings are rare in the Alpine country, although the use of weapons is relatively widespread.
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“By its nature, this incident is certainly unique in recent years,” Graser said. “We don’t know the full extent of it yet, but just based on the circumstances, it’s something really extraordinary. That’s why there’s such a large police presence.”
Police spokesman Pascal Wenzel told public radio SRF that authorities were alerted at around 2:30 a.m. to the shooting in the cantonal capital Aarau, 46 kilometers (29 miles) west of Zurich.
At the time of the accident, the “Aarau Rave VOL.7” race was being held at a horse racing track in the Chashen district of Aarau, SRF reported. The fire department cordoned off a large area around the site.
A major police operation was still underway on Sunday afternoon, and local residents were asked to stay away from the area as investigators were searching for possible links to the crime. Large numbers of police officers, firefighters and ambulances were present at the scene. The German news agency reported that police in Freiburg, neighboring Germany, also participated in efforts to search for the suspect.
“Right now, almost the entire Aargau police force is on the streets,” Graesser said, adding that they had no information about the whereabouts of the suspect or suspects. However, police ruled out the possibility that they would pose a threat again.
Excited visitors initially mistook the footage for fireworks, until one shouted, “Everyone down,” Swiss daily Blick reported.
The newspaper wrote that the shooting took place immediately after the event ended. Police later took the remaining visitors to a nearby gym, where many of them were questioned, Graser said.
Police asked any witnesses who have videos or photos to share them with investigators.
The Aargau Horse Racing Club, which runs the horse track, expressed shock at the shooting.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected and their families who are facing this difficult and stressful situation,” she said on her website. “We would like to thank the emergency responders and all other participants who worked professionally and dedicatedly at the scene.”
Swiss DJ Tikibo, who performed at a concert, wrote on Instagram that “what happened at the Arawer concert was very heartbreaking.”
He added: “Techno music and raves are supposed to be a place of freedom and safety, and it’s not a place where anything like this would ever happen.”
Aarau has a population of approximately 22,300 people. It is located about 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the German border.
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