Hundreds attend memorial march for Swiss rave shooting victims

An estimated 300 people took part in a memorial march at the Schachen in Aarau, northern Switzerland, on Friday evening to remember victims of the shooting rampage at a rave last weekend. The event, arranged by the rave organisers, included a minute’s silence.

According to the organisers, the event – which had been authorised by the City of Aarau – was intended to create “a dignified space for mourning, compassion and solidarity”. They also wanted to take a stand against all forms of hatred and violence. The organisers had issued an invitation to the memorial march via social media.

The march began in a car park near the swimming pool on the Schachen site in Aarau. Most participants held a candle in their hands; some also carried a white rose, whilst others carried whole bouquets of flowers. Quite a few people were dressed in black.

The march ended at the entrance to the Aarau racecourse. There, the participants laid candles and flowers at a makeshift memorial and stood in silence for a few minutes before leaving. Among those taking part in the march was Dieter Egli, a member of the Aargau cantonal government and head of the police.

Early on Sunday morning, a 43-year-old Swiss man from the canton of Jura in western Switzerland had fired over 40 shots indiscriminately using two guns at a rave party in Schachen. A 22-year-old Italian woman living in Switzerland was killed. According to the Italian news agency Ansa, the woman will be buried on Sunday.

Five people sustained gunshot wounds of varying severity during the rampage. According to the Aargau cantonal police, a further victim came forward later; they may have been slightly injured by a ricocheting bullet.

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Jan 12, 2024


Switzerland is one of the most heavily armed countries in the world. It is also one of the safest, and shootings are rare. How is this possible?

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The shooter turned himself in to the Jura cantonal police in Delémont in the early hours of Monday morning. The Aargau cantonal police had been tracking the man and had already identified the vehicle used in the attack. The Swiss national is currently in pre-trial detention in Aargau.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.