Police hunt for gunmen who killed two at Swiss cafe
BASEL, Switzerland — Police on Friday were hunting for two gunmen who opened fire in a cafe in the Swiss city of Basel, leaving two people dead and a third critically wounded.
A statement from the office of the local prosecutor said two men entered Cafe 56 at 8.15 p.m. Thursday and unleashed a salvo of gunfire. They then escaped on foot in the direction of a nearby railway station.
Prosecutors said the motive for the crime was unknown but the assailants specifically targeted the cafe. The victims were identified as Albanians.
No one else was hurt in the attack.
Investigations are still ongoing but a police officer told The Associated Press: “This is a local incident. It has nothing to do with Islamists or terrorism.”
He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. The office of the prosecutor later confirmed there was no indication of terrorism.
Forensic teams could be seen overnight going in and out of the cafe collecting evidence.
Prosecutors said police were looking for two men, aged between 30 and 40, who are believed to be eastern European. They had black hair and wore dark clothing.
The attack comes a day after the town concluded celebrations of Fasnacht, the largest carnival in Switzerland.