According to Corriere and Repubblica, Maria Spinelli is the 22-year-old girl killed in the shooting at a rave party in Switzerland. The young woman was originally from Atri, in Abruzzo, and worked in Switzerland. The attack occurred on the night between August 29 and 30, around 2:30 am. Fire was opened on the crowd that was dancing inside the Aarau racecourse. Five other people, four men and one woman, aged between 24 and 27, are now hospitalized with minor to serious injuries. Two of them are Italian citizens.
The crisis unit has been activated
The victim’s nationality was only revealed in the last few hours. The Farnesina is following developments with the crisis unit and through the embassy in Bern and the Consulate General in Basel. The news was also confirmed by Tg1. The 22-year-old’s identity has not yet been revealed. The girl would have bled to death: “She died as a result of her injuries”, the Swiss police wrote on social media.
The shooting
The attacker has not yet been intercepted. The assailant, according to what a witness said, fled into the woods that bordered the parking area. He was armed with an assault rifle. With that he would have fired into the crowd, injuring at least five people and killing the young 22-year-old woman. Some participants may not have immediately noticed what was happening. He would have confused the shots with the sound of fireworks.
The Swiss police announced that all the victims have their residence in Switzerland. For family members and eyewitnesses, the cantonal police has set up an Info-Line: 062 835 62 62
“Devastated and saddened”
The organizers of the Aarau rave expressed their dismay in a statement published on the website. “We are shocked, devastated and saddened. This cowardly attack on rave attendees in Aarau has broken our hearts. A rave should always be a place of joy and love. Never a place where people are killed, injured and thrown into fear. Our thoughts go out to the victims, their families and friends,” it read. The message ends with the image of a broken heart.
The press conference
The Swiss counter-terrorism unit is reportedly investigating the attack. More information on the case will be provided at the press conference that the Aargau police will hold at 6.30 pm.
