Swiss police report 'several victims' at shooting in Aarau

A 22-year-old Italian woman lost her life following a shooting at a rave party in Aarau, Switzerland, near Zürich, according to police reports on Sunday. Five other individuals, aged between 24 and 27, sustained injuries during the incident, some of them seriously, local police confirmed. Swiss authorities are actively investigating and searching for at least one gunman responsible for opening fire at the overnight event, which is a rare occurrence in the country despite its relatively high rate of gun ownership.

At present, investigators have limited information regarding the perpetrator(s), whether they acted alone or in a group, and whether they made an attempt to flee the scene. Police spokesman Bernhard Graser stated that while they have no reliable leads, a significant police presence remains in the region to apprehend the suspect(s) if found.

Authorities caution the public to avoid the area and requested any available video or image footage of the incident. German police in neighboring Freiburg are also participating in the manhunt, as reported by dpa, the German news agency.

The shooting took place before 3:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) during the annual Aarauer Rave at the Schachen race course, where a techno party was taking place. Aarau, with a population of approximately 22,300, is situated about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Zürich.