Man sentenced to two years for shooting incident in Iisalmi, Finland

The North Savo District Court has sentenced Valdemar Allan Robert Hagert from Iisalmi to two years and six months in prison for a shooting incident that occurred in May. He was convicted of aggravated assault and a firearms offense, as he did not have a license for the pistol used.

The prosecutor had initially sought a conviction for attempted murder, but Hagert admitted to firing at another man multiple times in the legs, claiming he felt endangered. He shot at the victim five times with a 9mm pistol from the driver’s seat of a moving car, approximately two meters away from the victim at a gas station in Iisalmi. Two bullets hit the victim’s legs, causing minor injuries that required treatment at the local hospital. The shooting also damaged the gas station’s wall.

The incident was preceded by a dispute between the two men. The victim had aggressively challenged Iisalmi’s Romani community to a violent confrontation via a Facebook video. He had traveled to Iisalmi with a bladed weapon, which was found at the shooting site and tested positive for his DNA. Both men indicated that the incident stemmed from ongoing family feuds.

Hagert is required to pay €3,400 in legal costs and €2,500 in damages to the victim. The judgment is not yet final.

Additionally, the victim is facing a charge of preparing for an aggravated crime against life or health, as he allegedly sought to retaliate for the shooting incident. The district court is set to deliver a verdict in this case on November 19. Violent incidents among Romani families in the area have been reported earlier this year.