Police on Sept. 21 investigating online threats of violence, served a search warrant at the Sacramento home of Lo Saetern and confiscated firearms, ammunition and materials that may be associated with explosives. A federal grand jury has indicted Saetern, who faces charges including interstate threats.
Sacramento Police Department
A federal grand jury indicted a Sacramento man accused of posting YouTube videos with threats to kill children at a nearby church with a bomb and carrying out a mass shooting targeting Muslims.
Lo Saetern, 35, faces charges of making interstate threats, threats involving explosives and possession of ammunition as a prohibited person, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento announced in a news release.
On Wednesday, Saetern was being held in custody at the Yuba County Jail. He was initially arrested last month after Sacramento police learned of the alleged online threats.
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From Sept. 15 through Sept. 21, Saetern posted YouTube videos in which, prosecutors said, he spoke about wanting to build a bomb to kill children at a nearby church.
Saetern also said he wanted to carry out a mass shooting that targeted Muslims, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said Saetern also threatened to rape, kill and mutilate his neighbor’s daughter.
On Sept. 21, the Sacramento Police Department received information regarding the alleged online threats of violence. Officers launched an investigation and served a search warrant at Saetern’s home.
Police said officers at Saetern’s home found and confiscated firearms, ammunition, electronic devices, written materials and materials that may be associated with the manufacture of explosives. Saetern also was served with a gun violence restraining order.
Prosecutors said investigators found bags of sulfur powder and charcoal powder that can be combined with potassium nitrate to make black powder, which is an explosive.
In December 2019, Saetern told several other people that he was driving around with a bomb and wanted to blow himself up, claiming to have built a potassium nitrate bomb but then dismantled it, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Saetern is prohibited from possessing ammunition and firearms because he is under a lifetime mental health firearm prohibition issued in December 2019.
Saetern, if convicted, could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the interstate threats charge, 20 years in prison for the threats involving explosives charge and 15 years in prison for being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition. Prosecutors said these charges also carry a maximum fine of $250,000.
“Houses of worship, community spaces, and our children must be safe from the terror of hate-fueled violence,” the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights organization, said Wednesday in a news release. “We welcome the swift action taken by federal and local law enforcement in apprehending the suspect and bringing these serious charges.
“At a time when communities of faith face heightened anxieties, accountability for those who threaten mass violence against Muslims and other faith and minority communities is essential to protecting the safety and security of all.”
The Sacramento Bee
Rosalio Ahumada writes breaking news stories related to crime and public safety for The Sacramento Bee. He speaks Spanish fluently and has worked as a news reporter in the Central Valley since 2004.