Utah (GNP): A man has been arrested in Utah after allegedly stabbing a Muslim man multiple times, telling police he targeted the victim specifically because of his religion, according to court records released Tuesday.
Police said the suspect told investigators he “intends to kill Muslims” and described him as posing a substantial danger to the public if released, citing his violent actions, ideology and what authorities characterized as pre-planned mass casualty intentions.
The attack occurred inside the Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah, on Monday. According to a police affidavit, the victim sustained multiple stab wounds across his body and was bleeding profusely. Bystanders pinned the suspect to the ground before officers arrived at the scene.
The suspect, identified as 48-year-old Peter Michael Larsen, was booked into Salt Lake County jail on charges under investigation for attempted murder and prohibited dangerous weapon conduct, according to jail records. The victim was a Muslim man working at a kiosk in the mall.
In the booking affidavit, police said the suspect stated he had targeted the victim with intent to kill him specifically because of his Muslim faith. According to Imam Shuaib Din, who leads the Utah Islamic Center and has been in contact with the victim’s family, the attacker approached the victim, asked his name, questioned him about his religion, and asked for a bottle of water. As the victim turned to retrieve the water, the attacker began stabbing him, Din said.
The victim was hospitalized in critical condition. A GoFundMe page set up by a friend stated he was stabbed 15 times and would require multiple surgeries. The suspect was also hospitalized for injuries sustained while being subdued by bystanders before being transferred to Salt Lake County jail.
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Muslim civil rights organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, condemned the attack. Advocacy groups in the United States have pointed to rising Islamophobia over more than two decades since the September 11, 2001 attacks, with recent increases attributed to anti-immigration rhetoric, white supremacist activity, and tensions stemming from Israel’s war in Gaza.
The incident follows other deadly attacks targeting Muslims in the United States in recent years, including the 2023 stabbing of a six-year-old Muslim child in Illinois, whose attacker was sentenced to 53 years in prison and later died in custody, and a 2026 shooting at a San Diego mosque that killed five people, including two teenage suspects.
