A night of techno music in the Swiss town of Aarau turned into a deadly scene when gunfire erupted at a rave, killing a 22-year-old woman and injuring five others, some of them seriously, local police said.
All of the victims are Swiss residents in their 20s, police said, as officers launched a manhunt and sealed off large parts of the town.
Investigators also urged members of the public to come forward with any images of the incident.
A witness told Reuters he heard shots shortly after the music stopped at about 2.30am, a sound he initially thought was fireworks.
As panic spread, some people ducked behind a DJ booth, while one woman tried to hide behind a refrigerator but was fatally shot.
“It’s just incredibly tragic. She was young,” the witness told Reuters. “That something like this could happen in Aarau, at a local event, is simply unimaginable. I still can’t really process it.”
Police said the 22-year-old woman died from her injuries at the scene.
As a precaution, they stepped up their presence beyond the town, located about 50km west of Zurich.
Armed officers have been deployed on patrol, and police convoys were seen moving through the streets.
Armoured vehicles have also been positioned near the crime scene.
The organisers’ website promoted the gathering as a techno party at a covered horse racetrack, with 3,500 people expected to attend.
Switzerland has one of Europe’s highest rates of gun ownership, though violent shootings are uncommon, and the country approved tighter gun control rules in 2019.
