A Utah man has been arrested for stabbing an Indian mall worker multiple times in broad daylight, telling investigators he targeted the victim because of his religion and “intends to kill Muslims,” according to court documents.Peter Michael Larsen, 48, carried out the attack Monday inside Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City after asking the victim about his faith, police said. The victim, identified by friends as Sohail, remains hospitalised in critical condition.Police wrote in a booking affidavit that Larsen poses “a substantial danger to the public” because of his “violent actions, ideologies and pre-planned mass casualty events.”
Details of the stabbing
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, citing Utah Islamic Center Imam Shuaib Din, Larsen approached the victim at his kiosk, asked his name and religion, and requested a bottle of water. As the victim turned away to retrieve it, Larsen allegedly began stabbing him.A GoFundMe page created by a friend says the victim was stabbed 15 times and has undergone multiple surgeries. “I know he doesn’t have insurance. He’s the only man that is working in his family. He has two babies and a wife,” friend Luna Nunez told KSL.Larsen was tackled to the ground and subdued by bystanders before officers arrived. The victim suffered multiple stab wounds across his body and was bleeding heavily, according to the affidavit.“I was throwing anything I could, shoes, a chair, anything. He was stabbing him so vicious. I was scared for his life,” Nunez said.The victim’s manager, Adnan Mohammed, told Fox 13: “Always smiling, laughing, working very hard. When you kill a human, you’re not just killing one guy. You’re killing a whole family.”Mohammed paid tribute to those who intervened: “There’s heroes, who saved his life, who still exist. Humanity still exists.”
Suspect has previous violent history
Larsen was booked into the Salt Lake County jail on suspicion of attempted murder and prohibited dangerous weapon conduct. In 2022, police went to Larsen’s home after he set his yard on fire and threatened to shoot responding firefighters. He was sentenced to prison and released in January 2025.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations and other Muslim advocacy groups condemned the attack. Imam Shuaib Din told the Tribune: “On the surface, it seems like it’s against one individual, but it’s not that one person who is a victim. The whole entire community is a victim because now they all feel unsafe.”Civil rights groups have warned of rising anti-Muslim hate in the US since 9/11, with renewed concerns tied to anti-immigration rhetoric and white supremacist activity.
