Switzerland

Shooting at a rave in Aarau; a 43-year-old Swiss man has been arrested

Two other Italians sustained minor injuries. 9-millimetre cartridge casings, consistent with pistols and submachine guns, and cartridge casings from long guns, such as assault rifles, were found. There may be a second perpetrator

by Rome Editorial Staff

30 August 2026aggiornato il 31 agosto

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Police officers secure the area around the Schachen horse racing track following a shooting at a rave, in Aarau, Switzerland, Sunday Aug. 30, 2026. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP) APN

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

According to informed sources, the victim is Maria Spinelli, an Italian woman – the 22-year-old who died on 30 August 2026 in a shooting during a rave party in Switzerland. Among the five people injured, aged between 24 and 27, there are reportedly also two Italian women, who have already been discharged from hospital. The others are all Swiss.

The woman died at the scene as a result of her injuries, a police spokesperson told the media, as reported by the Swiss news agency Keystone-Ats.

Maria Spinelli

Maria Spinelli, 22enne originaria di Atri, in Abruzzo, uccisa in una sparatoria avvenuta durante un rave ad Aarau, 30 agosto 2026. Facebook/Maria Spinelli

43-year-old Swiss man arrested

A 43-year-old Swiss man was arrested this morning by the cantonal police as part of the investigation into the shooting at the Aarau rave at the weekend, in which an Italian woman was killed. This is according to the *Corriere del Ticino*. According to the police, he is believed to be the sole perpetrator of the crime.

The weapon

The police chief added that 9-millimetre cartridge casings – consistent with pistols and submachine guns – and casings from long guns, such as assault rifles, were found at the scene of the shooting. The number of perpetrators has yet to be established: ‘We know there is at least one person responsible,’ explained Leupold, who added that the police had also received reports of the possible presence of a second perpetrator, but the discovery of cartridge cases linked to two types of weapon does not necessarily mean that two people were involved.

“Not necessarily,” the commander clarified, explaining that “a single perpetrator could also fire two weapons.”

Sparatoria durante un rave in Svizzera, muore un’italiana
Photogallery14 foto

Rave organisers: ‘shocked’

The organisers of the rave in Aarau, Switzerland, where a shooting led to the death of a young Italian woman and left five people injured, have expressed their dismay in a statement published on their website. The message expresses sympathy for the victims and their families. “We are shocked, devastated and deeply saddened,” reads the statement on the website aarauer-rave.ch.

“This cowardly attack on those attending the rave in Aarau has broken our hearts,” the organisers continued. “A rave should always be a place of joy and love. Never a place where people are killed, injured and left in fear,” they said. “Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and their friends.” The message – signed by “Livio, Alex, Maik and Olivier” – expresses gratitude to the police and the emergency services. As organisers, “we will do everything we can” to support the authorities in their investigation, it adds. The message concludes with an image of a broken heart.

The scene of the shooting

The venue of the shooting, “Aarau Rave VOL. 7”, could accommodate up to around 3,500 people, according to its website. The number of people present at the time of the shooting is not currently known. Accounts from those who were there are multiplying on social media, particularly from the artists who were performing in Aarau that evening. Many are expressing their shock, reports RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse Romande) on its website. Several have spoken of the loss of a ‘friend’, suggesting that the victim may have been part of the organisers’ or artists’ circle.

The Governor of Abruzzo, Marco Marsilio

“On my own behalf and on behalf of the entire Regional Executive of Abruzzo, I wish to express my deepest condolences on the tragic death of Maria Spinelli, a young woman originally from Atri and resident in Città Sant’Angelo, who was killed in the shooting in Aarau, Switzerland. At this time of immense grief, the Abruzzo Region stands in solidarity with her family, friends and the communities of Atri and Città Sant’Angelo, which have been deeply affected by this tragic event.” This was stated by the President of the Abruzzo Region, Marco Marsilio.