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Police launch manhunt after Aarau rave shooting kills woman

8/31/2026

39 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Police Manhunt

Police launched a manhunt after a shooting at a rave in Aarau killed 22-year-old Maria Spinelli.
The attack injured five other Swiss residents, four men and one woman aged 24 to 27.
Investigators consider terrorism, a mass killing, or a criminal dispute equally likely motives.
German police from Freiburg joined the search, expanding cross-border cooperation.
Police appealed for public video or photo evidence to help locate the shooter(s).

Summary

Gunmen Open Fire

A shooting erupted at the Schachen horse-racing track during the Aarau Rave VOL 7, with ten rapid gunshots heard.
Witnesses initially thought the gunfire was fireworks before recognizing the attack.
Attendees hid beneath the DJ booth and then fled to a nearby gym for safety.
The festival attracted about 3,500 participants from Saturday afternoon.
The event ended at 2:00 am, leaving roughly 100 people on site when the shooting began.

History

Historical Context

On 22 July 2011 far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik bombed Oslo and shot at Utøya, killing 69 and a total of 77, and leaving 186 shell casings. Norwegian police, with EU support, arrested Breivik that day and shared evidence across borders. The 2011 precedent shows why German investigators from Freiburg now cooperate with Swiss authorities after the Aarau rave shooting.

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Police Manhunt

Police launched a manhunt after a shooting at a rave in Aarau killed 22-year-old Maria Spinelli.
The attack injured five other Swiss residents, four men and one woman aged 24 to 27.
Investigators consider terrorism, a mass killing, or a criminal dispute equally likely motives.
German police from Freiburg joined the search, expanding cross-border cooperation.
Police appealed for public video or photo evidence to help locate the shooter(s).

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