A 35-year-old Sacramento man has been indicted on federal charges over alleged threats to bomb a church, kill children and carry out a mass shooting targeting Muslims.
Lo Saetern also allegedly threatened to rape, kill and mutilate his neighbor’s daughter, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The DOJ said Saetern posted numerous threats on YouTube between Sept. 15 and Sept. 21, 2026. A federal criminal complaint filed earlier in the case describes threats dating back to Sept. 14.
In one post, Saetern allegedly wrote, “Lets carry out a mass shooting against all muslims and anyone who supports islam.” Two days later, he allegedly posted, “I’m targeting the kids [church account] let’s kill those fucking kids.”
During a search of Saetern’s home, investigators found firearms, ammunition and bags of sulfur and charcoal powder. The materials can be combined with potassium nitrate to make black powder, an explosive.
The complaint also describes a December 2019 incident in which Saetern told people he was driving around with a bomb and wanted to blow himself up. He later told hospital staff he had built a bomb using potassium nitrate but dismantled it.
During a search of his bedroom in 2019, officers found sulfur powder, charcoal powder and potassium nitrate, along with a digital scale, a mortar and pestle, and a container used for a rock-polishing tumbler. Some items had traces of black powder, according to the complaint.
Saetern is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under a lifetime mental health firearm prohibition issued in December 2019, prosecutors said.
Sacramento police began investigating on Sept. 21 after receiving information about online threats of violence. Officers searched his home with help from the department’s Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) and Explosive Ordnance Detail (EOD), recovering firearms, ammunition, electronic devices, written materials and items that may be associated with making explosives.
Saetern was arrested on charges related to threats against a specific public location and served with a gun violence restraining order, police said.
The FBI investigated the federal case with assistance from the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Wong is prosecuting it.
If convicted, Saetern faces up to 5 years in prison for making interstate threats, 20 years for threats involving explosives and 15 years for illegally possessing ammunition. Each charge carries a maximum fine of $250,000.