An Indian Muslim man is in critical condition after being stabbed 15 times inside a shopping mall in Utah by a suspect who asked where he was from and whether he was Muslim, according to court records cited by local media. Police said the 48-year-old attacker later admitted he targeted the victim because of his religion and declared that he "intends to kill Muslims".
The attack took place on Monday at Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, where the victim, identified by friends as Sohail, was working at a kiosk. Police described the assault as a targeted attack and warned that the suspect posed a serious threat to public safety.
According to eyewitnesses, the attacker first asked Sohail where he was from before questioning his religion.
"He said (Larsen) asked, 'where are you from', and he told him, 'I'm from India, my name's Sohail.' Larsen asked 'are you Muslim', and Sohail said yes, and he just began stabbing him," Luna Nunez, who works at a nearby jewellery store, told ABC Salt Lake City.
Court records released on Tuesday said the suspect later admitted he deliberately chose the victim because he was Muslim. Police also said he "intends to kill Muslims" and represents "a substantial danger to the public if released based on his violent actions ... ideologies and pre-planned mass casualty events".
Officers responding to the scene found the victim suffering from multiple stab wounds. According to court documents, Sohail had "multiple stab wounds all over his body" and was "bleeding profusely" when officers arrived.
Authorities said members of the public rushed in and pinned the suspect to the ground before police reached the mall.
The suspect was identified as Peter Michael Larsen, 48. He was later booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and prohibited dangerous weapon conduct.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Imam Shuaib Din, who leads the Utah Islamic Center and has remained in contact with the victim's family, said Larsen first approached the kiosk, asked Sohail's name, inquired about his religion and requested a bottle of water.
As Sohail turned to get the bottle, Larsen pulled out a knife and began stabbing him.
Sohail was rushed to hospital in critical condition.
A GoFundMe page created by his friend, Luna Nunez, said he 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, and they are not working right now," Nunez told KSL.
Describing the attack, she said she tried everything she could to stop the suspect.
"I was throwing anything I could, shoes, a chair, anything. (Larsen) was stabbing him so vicious. I was scared for his life. I was just scared. I thought he was going to die."
The victim's manager, Adnan Mohammed, said he wished he had been there during the attack.
"I wish I was there to protect him. I would've given my life to protect him," Mohammed told ABC Salt Lake City.
He also praised the bystanders who stepped in to save Sohail.
"There's heroes, who saved his life, who still exist. Humanity still exists," he said.
The suspect also received medical treatment after suffering injuries while being restrained by bystanders before being taken into custody.
Local media reported that Larsen had previous encounters with law enforcement.
According to Fox 13 Salt Lake City, police responded to his home in 2022 after he allegedly set his yard on fire and threatened to shoot responding firefighters. Officers said shots were fired during the incident, but Larsen, who was armed with a shotgun, was not injured.
He was later sentenced to prison over the incident and was released in January 2025. While in prison, he completed his high school diploma.
The attack comes amid continued concerns over anti-Muslim hate crimes in the United States.
Civil rights groups have warned that Islamophobia has remained a persistent issue since the September 11, 2001 attacks and has intensified in recent years because of anti-immigration rhetoric, the rise of white supremacist groups and tensions linked to the war in Gaza.
Several deadly attacks targeting Muslims have taken place across the country in recent years. In 2023, a six-year-old Muslim boy was fatally stabbed in Illinois in what prosecutors described as a hate crime. More recently, a shooting at a mosque in San Diego in 2026 left five people dead.
Source: India Today