Gunshots in a Local Recreation Area

A stand-up paddler had the fright of his life.

He feared he was the target of a sniper. It turned out to be a duck hunter.

It happened on one of the last warm autumn days of the year, on a Monday at around 4 p.m.: a stand-up paddler is leisurely paddling along the Aare. He glides through a popular local recreation area between Lüsslingen and Grenchen in the canton of Solothurn. It is completely quiet — only the sounds of birdsong and the dip of a paddle in the water. On the bank, the paddler notices a woman with a small child sitting on a swing.

Then, out of nowhere — a bang! A terrifyingly loud bang. The man nearly falls into the water in fright. What was that? He watches as the mother takes the child by the hand and quickly disappears. Not another person in sight. The man turns around and paddles back to the starting point at Lüsslingen as quickly as he can.

Was it a sniper?

He was in shock, the water sports enthusiast later recounted. He immediately called the Solothurn Cantonal Police and filed a report.

The cantonal police looked into the matter — the mother had also come forward. A patrol was dispatched immediately, as media spokesperson Bruno Gribi told the «Sonntagszeitung», which was the first to report on the incident. At the scene, officers also apprehended the suspected shooter.

Ducks: yes — people: no

But it was not a sniper targeting people. It was a hobby hunter — more specifically, a duck hunter. Together with companions, he had been recreational hunting for ducks on the Aare. Further details were not available from the cantonal police, as the Solothurn public prosecutor's office has taken up the matter.recreational hunting for ducks along the Aare. Further details were unavailable from the cantonal police, as the Solothurn public prosecutor’s office has taken charge of the matter.

Hunting mallards, pochards, tufted ducks, and coots is permitted in the canton of Solothurn between 1 September and 31 December. However, only hunters holding a competency certificate and a hunting licence as well as a certified retrieval dog. Waterfowl may only be shot with shotgun pellets and from a maximum distance of 35 meters. However, the shooter must always ensure that no persons are put at risk.