An Indian Muslim man remains in critical condition after being stabbed 15 times inside a Utah shopping mall, in what police describe as a deliberate, religiously motivated attack.
The 48-year-old suspect later admitted he had targeted the victim specifically because he was Muslim, telling authorities he “intends to kill Muslims,” according to court records.
The stabbing happened Monday at Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, where the victim, identified by friends as Sohail, was working at a kiosk. Police called it a targeted attack and said the suspect poses a serious threat to public safety.
Witnesses say the attacker asked Sohail where he was from before turning the conversation to his religion. Luna Nunez, who works at a nearby jewellery store, told ABC Salt Lake City that the suspect, identified as Larsen, asked Sohail where he was from. Sohail said he was from India and gave his name. When Larsen then asked if he was Muslim, Sohail said yes — and that’s when the stabbing began.
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Court records unsealed Tuesday show the suspect admitted he chose the victim deliberately because of his faith. Police said he poses a substantial danger to the public if released, pointing to his violent history, his ideology, and what they described as pre-planned mass casualty events.
The Attack Inside the Mall
Officers arriving at the scene found Sohail suffering from multiple stab wounds across his body. Court documents say he was bleeding profusely by the time police reached him. Bystanders had already stepped in, pinning the suspect to the ground before officers arrived.
The suspect, identified as Peter Michael Larsen, 48, was 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 stayed in touch with the victim’s family, said Larsen approached the kiosk, asked Sohail’s name, questioned his religion, and then asked for a bottle of water. As Sohail turned to grab it, Larsen pulled out a knife and attacked.
Fighting for His Life
Sohail was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. A GoFundMe page set up by Nunez says he was stabbed 15 times and has since undergone multiple surgeries.
Nunez told KSL that Sohail has no insurance and is the only one earning for his family — he has two young children and a wife, none of whom are currently working.
Recalling the attack, Nunez said she grabbed whatever she could find — shoes, a chair — and threw them at the attacker, trying desperately to stop him. She said she was terrified he was going to die in front of her.
Sohail’s manager, Adnan Mohammed, told ABC Salt Lake City he wished he’d been there to protect him, saying he would have given his own life to do so. He also praised the people who stepped in to help, saying it proved that heroes — and humanity — still exist.
The suspect was also treated for injuries he sustained while being restrained by bystanders before police took him into custody.
A History With Police
Larsen isn’t a stranger to law enforcement. Fox 13 Salt Lake City reported that police were called to his home back in 2022 after he allegedly set his own yard on fire and threatened to shoot firefighters who responded. Shots were fired during that standoff, though Larsen who was armed with a shotgun wasn’t hurt.
He was later sent to prison over that incident and released in January 2025. While behind bars, he earned his high school diploma.
The attack adds to growing concern over anti-Muslim hate crimes across the U.S. Civil rights groups say Islamophobia has never really gone away since the September 11 attacks, and has only grown more intense in recent years amid anti-immigration rhetoric, a resurgence of white supremacist groups, and rising tensions tied to the war in Gaza.
The country has seen other deadly attacks on Muslims in recent years. In 2023, a six-year-old Muslim boy was fatally stabbed in Illinois in what prosecutors called a hate crime. And more recently, a 2026 shooting at a mosque in San Diego left five people dead.
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