Man receives nearly six years for attempted murder in Lahti street shooting

A district court in Päijät-Häme has sentenced Jermu Juuso Petteri Ahava, born in 2005, to five years and ten months in prison for attempted murder and a serious firearms offence after he shot a man in central Lahti in March 2026.

The shooting followed a verbal dispute that turned physical. According to the court, security footage shows the victim, a man born in 2003, first pushing Ahava and striking him with a fist before Ahava drew a gun and fired at close range.

One shot hit the victim in the chest, another in the outer thigh. Medical reports stated the injuries were not life-threatening, though the court ruled that death could have resulted from either wound. The court emphasised that firearms are inherently lethal and that Ahava should have recognised the high likelihood of fatal injury given the weapon and proximity.

The court also found that the initial assault on Ahava did not justify the use of a firearm in response. The shooting occurred on a public street in Lahti’s city centre during a weekend night when others were present.

Ahava had no legal right or valid reason to possess the firearm and had carried it into a bar, constituting a serious firearms offence. The victim was separately fined 50 day-fines, totalling €2,250, for assault. Both men must also pay a €120 criminal injury compensation fee to the state.

The verdict, delivered on 29 June, is not yet final. Ahava has indicated dissatisfaction with the ruling.