Crime & Public Safety
Aarau shooting suspect has psychological problems: prosecutor
The man suspected of killing a 22-year-old Italian woman and wounding five other people at a rave in Aarau, Switzerland, has "psychological problems" and has remained silent in custody, Aargau cantonal prosecutor Christoph Ruedi said Wednesday.
Gunfire erupted early Sunday as the annual rave was winding down at the racecourse in Aarau, the capital of Aargau canton. A 43-year-old Swiss man who lives in Jura canton later handed himself in to police in Delemont.
Ruedi said the suspect had offered no explanation for the shooting but had provided information about his personal situation that suggested he may have mental health issues requiring further examination.
Aargau police said two pistols and an AK-74 assault rifle were found in the suspect's vehicle. Reporters were told that initial forensic analysis showed matching characteristics between the seized weapons and cartridge cases found at the scene.
Police chief Michael Leupold said the motive remained unclear. He said the suspect was not previously known to police and had no known links to extremist movements.
Police said the shooter acted alone, fired about 40 rounds with the rifle, then continued shooting with a pistol before fleeing in his vehicle. They said evidence from the scene suggested he fired indiscriminately at the festival site from various positions outside the grounds.
The five people wounded by gunfire were four Swiss men and a German woman, aged between 24 and 31. Police said two were still in hospital on Wednesday, but their lives were no longer in danger and they should be discharged in the coming days.
Police also said another person had come forward with a minor injury, possibly from a ricocheting bullet. At least one bullet hit a car carrying four people as it drove away.
"All indications suggest that all these people were random victims," police said. Investigators had found no geographical or personal links between the suspect and Aarau, police said.
Leupold said the suspect had acquired his weapons privately, with approval from Jura authorities, around 20 years ago. Shootings are rare in Switzerland, despite widespread gun ownership.
Update
Aargau police said initial forensic analysis showed matching characteristics between seized weapons and cartridge cases from the scene.
Police said the suspect had no geographical or personal links to Aarau that investigators had found.
Police chief Michael Leupold said the suspect had acquired the weapons privately, with Jura authorities' approval, around 20 years ago.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 17:35:49 UTC.
Update
Police said two wounded people were still in hospital but their lives were no longer in danger and they should be discharged in the coming days.
Another person came forward with a minor injury, possibly from a ricocheting bullet.
At least one bullet hit a car carrying four people as it drove away.
Police said evidence suggested the shooter fired from various positions outside the festival grounds.
Police said all indications suggested the victims were random.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 15:15:35 UTC.
Update
Prosecutors said the 43-year-old suspect is suffering from psychological problems and has remained silent in custody.
Police said two pistols and an AK-74 assault rifle were found in the suspect's car.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 14:29:14 UTC.
Update
Prosecutor Christoph Ruedi said the suspect has psychological problems and has remained silent since his arrest on Monday.
Aargau police said two pistols and an AK-47 assault rifle were found in the suspect's car.
Police chief Michael Leupold said the suspect was not previously known to police and had no known links to extremist movements.
Police said they believe the shooter acted alone and fired around 40 rounds before fleeing in his car.
The suspect handed himself in to police in Delemont in Jura canton.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 13:34:58 UTC.
Update
A prosecutor said the suspect has psychological problems and has remained silent in custody.
Police said two pistols and an AK-47 assault rifle were found in the suspect's car.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 13:08:52 UTC.
Update
A prosecutor said the Swiss rave shooting suspect has “psychological problems”.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 12:42:50 UTC.
Update
Aargau police chief Michael Leupold said investigators had found evidence of two different weapon calibres.
Leupold said police were examining three hypotheses: a terrorist attack, a mass shooting or a criminal act with an unknown motive.
Aargau cantonal police scheduled a press conference for Wednesday.
Rave organisers said they were devastated by the attack.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin sent condolences to the Italian victim's family, and Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans said Swiss authorities were receiving support from Germany.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 August 2026 at 12:02:54 UTC.
Update
Aargau police said the five wounded people were four Swiss men and a German woman aged 24 to 31.
The police account differs from earlier statements by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that two Italians were among those wounded.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 August 2026 at 11:35:55 UTC.
Update
Police said the arrested suspect is a 43-year-old Swiss man.
Aargau cantonal police said he was arrested on strong suspicion of committing the crime.
Police said that at this stage they believe a lone perpetrator was involved.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 August 2026 at 11:18:31 UTC.
Update
Police said a Swiss man was arrested over the deadly Aarau rave shooting.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 August 2026 at 11:07:18 UTC.
Update
Aargau cantonal police commander Michael Leupold said investigators found evidence of two different calibres.
Leupold said shots were fired from two locations: at the rave and from next to a trailer park.
Leupold said police were examining three hypotheses: a terrorist attack, a mass killing or a criminal act with an unknown motive.
AFP saw armed officers deployed at the scene, the railway station and on a highway up to 30 kilometres away.
Source note: AFP news report published on 30 August 2026 at 19:27:56 UTC.
Update
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni named the dead woman as Maria Spinelli.
Meloni expressed condolences and said she was confident Swiss authorities would find anyone responsible.
Italy's foreign ministry said two other Italians were slightly injured and had returned home.
Italy's foreign ministry said it was sending officials to the scene and setting up a task force to assist affected Italian nationals.
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis called Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to offer condolences.
Source note: AFP news report published on 30 August 2026 at 16:40:54 UTC.
Update
Local police said the woman who died was 22 and that four men and one woman aged 24 to 27 were taken to hospital.
Police spokesman Bernhard Graser said investigators had no reliable information on whether one or several attackers were involved or how they fled.
Police kept the area sealed off while searching for clues and interviewing eyewitnesses.
DPA reported that the investigation was being carried out with Freiburg police because the German border is nearby.
Aargau cantonal police asked people to avoid the area and to provide video or photos from the rave.
Witnesses quoted by Blick said shots were fired at about 2:30 am and were initially mistaken for fireworks.
Swiss DJ Tekibo said he was physically unharmed but had lost an important friend.
Source note: AFP news report published on 30 August 2026 at 14:59:43 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The motive for the shooting remains unclear.
The suspect's possible mental health issues require further examination.
Police said another person's minor injury may have been caused by a ricocheting bullet.
Source
AFP news report published on .