A 22-year-old woman has lost her life and five other people have been injured early this morning in northern Switzerland after a shooting that occurred at the end of an electronic music party in the town of Aarau. The shooter remains at large, according to the Police's communication through their social media profiles.
The deceased victim has been identified as Maria Spinelli, 22 years old, of Italian nationality and residing in Switzerland. "I express my deepest condolences for the death of Maria Spinelli, the young Italian who was a victim of the tragic shooting in Aarau, Switzerland," published Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on social media.
The injured are four men and one woman aged between 24 and 27 years, all of whom have been taken to different hospitals with prognoses ranging from mild to severe, according to information released by the Aarau Police. The possible motivations for the attack and the specific circumstances of the crime "are still unclear."
Meloni also noted that among the injured are two other Italian citizens and expressed her confidence in the work of the Swiss authorities to clarify what happened and identify those responsible.
The Aarau Rave VOL. 7 took place at the Aargau Racing Club and concluded around 02:00 hours, before the shooting, which occurred around 03:00 in the morning (time in mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands), when attendees were leaving the venue. The organizers had anticipated the participation of about 2,500 people at the event.
Several attendees leaving the party reported that they heard the shots shortly after the music stopped and, at first, thought it was fireworks or firecrackers. Eyewitnesses have said they saw a woman lying on the ground after being hit by the bullets. According to these accounts, the attacker opened fire indiscriminately into the crowd.
The cantonal police of Aargau has completely cordoned off the area, including the surroundings of the track, such as a nearby pool and a sports field close to the party location. Those affected who did not require hospitalization spent the night in a nearby gym set up as a reception space.
The security forces maintain a broad operation to locate the person responsible for the shots, although at the moment it has not been determined whether he acted alone or accompanied. The authorities rule out, however, that the suspect is still in Aarau or that he poses an immediate danger to the population.