Switzerland shooting: Two killed in shooting at Basel cafe, one seriously injured, motive unknown

Shootings are rare in Switzerland, but men who have served in the military are allowed to keep their weapons at home

By: News Desk |
March 10, 2017 8:20 am

Two men shot dead two people and seriously injured a third on Thursday at a cafe in Basel, north-west Switzerland. Police are hunting for the suspects. “Two men came into Cafe 56″ around 8.15 pm local time” and fired several rounds of shots,” police said in a statement. They have not yet been able to find the possible motive for the shooting.

Two customers were killed and one other is in a critical condition. Police said that the assailants are on the run following the shooting. They also added that the assailants were headed in the direction of the railway station after the attack.

However, there is no reason behind the attack that has been found yet. “The reason behind the attack is not yet known and will be investigated,” the Basel prosecutor’s office said in a statement. The road next to the cafe was closed and traffic redirected.

Police officials are not reading too much into any terror angle into the attack and are believeing it to be a local incident. “It has nothing to do with Islamists or terrorism,” he said on the condition of anonymity. Forensic teams could be seen going in and out of the cafe collecting evidence.

The attack comes a day after the town concluded celebrations of Fasnacht, the largest carnival in Switzerland.

Shootings are rare in Switzerland, but men who have served in the military are allowed to keep their weapons at home. This right has been controversial as sometimes weapons are used at home in domestic incidents. The number of weapons held at home is believed to be two million for a population of eight million, according to Swiss press.