A 43‑year‑old Swiss man was arrested following a shooting that took place at a techno rave in Aarau, a town west of Zurich. Two days after the incident, the Swiss cantonal police confirmed that the suspect had been in custody near 1:00 a.m. local time.
The shooting occurred on a horse racing track that was hosting a rave attended by about 3,500 people. Italian 22‑year‑old Maria Spinelli was killed on the spot, while four men and a woman aged between 24 and 27 were taken to hospital with injuries ranging from minor to severe.
Police first received a report of shots fired at 02:30 local time. An eyewitness told local media he heard the shots after music stopped, believing they were fireworks, but was then told to hide by a man and a woman, the latter of whom was shot.
The victim’s death triggered a nearly 24‑hour manhunt. Swiss authorities later described the investigation as a focus on motive and background, but assumed the attack was carried out by a single individual.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed confidence that Swiss officers would bring clarity, and Italy’s foreign ministry is sending officials to Zurich to follow the investigation closely. The incident came amid Swiss concerns about gun ownership; while gun ownership rates are high, violent shootings remain rare and stricter controls have been enacted recently.
A related major shooting in Switzerland occurred in 2001, when a gunman killed 14 members of parliament and local government in Zug before taking his own life.
