Switzerland: Police launch manhunt after gunman goes on shooting spree

A gunman in the Swiss Alpine town of Sion early on Monday morning left two people dead and one injured, prompting police to go on the run. A 36-year-old guy, according to the police, opened fire in two different areas of the town. Police said that although preliminary evidence indicated he was familiar with his victims, they were still trying to determine his motivation. After erecting a checkpoint and cordoning off the area, police stopped and searched vehicles leaving the nearby southwest canton of Valais. According to the authorities, the individual was “dangerous” and nobody should approach or engage him. In Switzerland, gun ownership is quite common. According to statistics from the Swiss-based Small Arms Survey, out of a nation of around 9 million people, private individuals possess about 2.3 million firearms. (With agency inputs)