Charges filed against Juhani Sebastian Lämsä for stabbing incidents at Valkea shopping center in Oulu

Prosecutors have filed charges in the first stabbing case at the Valkea shopping center in Oulu. Juhani Sebastian Lämsä, who has neo-Nazi ties, faces accusations of two attempted murders and one illegal threat. The matter will be addressed in Oulu District Court next month.

According to the prosecutor’s statement, although Lämsä’s name is not mentioned, the suspect has admitted to committing and attempting violence against two individuals. Reports indicate that Lämsä attacked a previously unknown 12-year-old boy of foreign descent with a knife, causing serious injuries. He is also suspected of attempting to stab a 14-year-old, who also has a foreign background. Police stated that the attacks were racially motivated.

During interrogations, Lämsä denied the charges and any racial motive for his actions. However, his background has raised suspicions regarding his motives. In his thirties, Lämsä has previously been involved with the banned neo-Nazi group Nordic Resistance Movement and has convictions for political violence. Recently, he has also been investigated for preparing to commit a crime against an individual’s life or health, relating to a bomb scare involving a suspicious package sent to a postal service, addressed to him, in March 2021.

Less than a week after the initial stabbing, on June 19, another knife attack occurred at the same shopping center. A 15-year-old local boy unexpectedly attacked an adult man of foreign descent. The preliminary investigation is still ongoing, with police suspecting the attack may have been inspired by the earlier incident. The minor has reportedly confessed to the act but denied intending to kill the victim. The knife used had a handle decorated with swastikas, and the boy was wearing a shirt associated with Nazi ideology.

Both the 15-year-old and Lämsä have been placed in custody and referred for mental health evaluations, which are currently underway.