A 22-year-old Italian woman was killed and five others wounded as police searched for an unidentified attacker or attackers.
AARAU, SWIRZERLAND — Swiss police carried out a large-scale manhunt Sunday after gunfire erupted near a techno rave in Aarau, killing a 22-year-old Italian woman and injuring five other people as thousands attended the overnight event.
The shooting happened early Aug. 30 in the Schachen district, where the Aarau Rave VOL. 7 was being held at a horse racing track. Police said the woman died at the scene. Four men and another woman, ages 24 to 27, were taken to hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to serious. Authorities said all six victims were residents of Switzerland.
The woman who died was identified by Italian authorities as Maria Spinelli. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed condolences to Spinelli’s family and said two Italian citizens were among those wounded. Italy’s government said it was following the investigation through its diplomatic representatives and was in contact with Swiss authorities.
Aargau cantonal police said the identity of the attacker or attackers remained unknown. Investigators had not established a motive or determined the exact circumstances that led to the shooting. Police also had not confirmed whether one person or more than one person fired the shots, leaving several central questions unanswered as the search continued.
The first reports of gunfire reached police shortly after 2:30 a.m., according to Swiss public broadcaster SRF. Witness accounts reported by news organizations said some people initially believed the sounds were fireworks before realizing shots had been fired. The shooting sent people at the event scrambling for cover as police and emergency crews moved into the area.
Organizers had expected about 3,500 people at the techno event, which ran from Saturday into Sunday at the covered horse racing track. Police sealed off a broad area around the venue, including nearby recreational facilities, while investigators examined the scene and interviewed people who had been at the rave. Authorities also asked attendees to provide photographs or video that could help establish what happened.
A major police presence remained visible around Aarau after the shooting. Officers were deployed at transportation points and along roads outside the immediate scene as the search widened. Police said there were indications that the person or people responsible might no longer be in the immediate area, but authorities continued searching in case they remained nearby.
The investigation also extended beyond the canton. German authorities were assisting Swiss investigators because Aarau is relatively close to Switzerland’s northern border with Germany. Police had not announced an arrest or released a confirmed description of a suspect by Sunday evening. Officials stressed that investigators were still gathering evidence and trying to determine how the shooting unfolded.
The killing drew reactions from people connected with the rave and the venue. Organizers of the horse racing facility expressed sympathy for those affected and thanked emergency personnel who responded. A DJ who performed at the event also wrote publicly about the shock of the shooting and said he had lost a friend. Authorities have not released the identities of the five wounded people.
Fatal public shootings are uncommon in Switzerland despite comparatively widespread private gun ownership. One of the country’s most serious modern shootings occurred in 2001, when a gunman killed 14 members of the cantonal parliament and government in Zug before killing himself. Switzerland later approved tighter firearms rules in a 2019 referendum.
Police continued the manhunt as investigators worked to identify whoever fired the shots and determine a motive. No suspect had been publicly identified, and authorities had not announced an arrest. The scene remained under investigation as officers reviewed evidence, witness accounts and material supplied by people who attended the rave.
Author note: Last updated August 30, 2026.