A 22-year-old woman died and five others were injured after gunfire broke out early Sunday at a rave in northern Switzerland, authorities said, prompting police to mount a major search for the people behind the attack.
The violence unfolded in the Schachen district of Aarau, the capital of Switzerland’s Aargau canton, where the “Aarau Rave VOL. 7” was taking place at a horse-racing venue, Swiss broadcaster SRF reported.
Aargau cantonal police said the young woman succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Four men and one other woman, ranging in age from 24 to 27, were transported to hospitals with wounds described as varying from minor to serious.
Investigators said all six people who were shot live in Switzerland.
Police officers patrol a street in downtown Aarau, Switzerland, on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, after a shooting at a rave. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)
Police spokesman Pascal Wenzel told SRF that authorities were alerted to the shooting shortly after 2:30 a.m. The event had been scheduled to end at 2 a.m., according to SRF, which cited information from the organizers’ website.
Authorities said the perpetrator or perpetrators remained unidentified and that possible motives and the circumstances surrounding the shooting were still unclear.
Police officers block a street near the Schachen horse racing track in Aarau following a shooting at a rave event near Aarau, Switzerland Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)
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A large area surrounding the horse-racing track, swimming pool and nearby sports field was cordoned off as police searched the area. Authorities also increased their presence elsewhere in Aarau as a precaution and urged members of the public to stay away.
Armed police officers patrol near the Schachen horse racing track in Aarau following a shooting during a rave event near Aarau, Switzerland, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)
The response included police officers, firefighters and several emergency medical services, according to SRF. The broadcaster reported that a cantonal disaster-response unit, the Argus police special unit and a Swiss military Super Puma helicopter were also involved.
Police in neighboring Germany were also assisting with the search as part of routine cross-border cooperation, a spokesman in Freiburg told the German news agency dpa, according to SRF.
Police appealed to witnesses to provide investigators with videos or photographs from the event and established an information line for relatives and eyewitnesses.
Armed police officers patrol near the Schachen horse racing track in Aarau following a shooting during a rave event near Aarau, Switzerland, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)
Swiss DJ Tekibo, who performed at the rave, later wrote on Instagram that what happened was “absolutely heartbreaking” and said raves should be places of freedom and safety. He also said he had lost an “important friend,” though SRF reported that it was not clear whom he was referring to.
Police said their investigation and search operation remained ongoing.