Utah mall stabbing suspect targeted Muslim man over his religion, police say

WEST VALLEY CITY: A 48-year-old man was arrested in Utah after allegedly stabbing a Muslim man multiple times at a shopping mall and later telling police he had chosen the victim because of his faith, according to court records cited by police on Tuesday.

The attack took place on Monday inside Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City. Police said in an affidavit that the victim, a male Muslim kiosk worker, suffered multiple stab wounds across his body and was bleeding heavily when officers responded. Authorities said bystanders restrained the suspect until police reached the scene.

Jail records showed that the suspect, Peter Michael Larsen, was booked into the Salt Lake County jail in connection with an investigation into attempted murder and prohibited dangerous weapon conduct. Police said in a booking affidavit that Larsen told investigators "he had targeted the victim with intent to kill him because of his religion" and also said he "intends to kill Muslims". According to police, investigators argued that he posed

a substantial danger to the public if released based on his violent actions.. ideologies and pre-planned mass casualty events.

Account of the attack

The Salt Lake Imam Shuaib Din of the Utah Islamic Centre said the suspect first approached the victim, asked his name and religion, and said he wanted a bottle of water. Din, who had been in contact with the victim’s family, said the attacker began stabbing the man as he turned to get the water.

The victim was taken to hospital and was reported to be in critical condition. A GoFundMe page set up by a friend said he had been stabbed 15 times and required surgeries. The suspect was also hospitalised after being injured while bystanders subdued him, before later being booked into jail.

Reaction and wider context

Muslim rights organisations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, condemned the stabbing. Rights advocates in the United States have pointed to rising Islamophobia over more than two decades since the September 11, 2001 attacks, and more recently to anti-immigration policies, white supremacy and the fallout from Israel’s war in Gaza.

The report also referred to other deadly attacks in recent years, including the 2023 fatal stabbing of a six-year-old Muslim child in Illinois, whose killer was sentenced to 53 years in prison and later died in custody, and a 2026 shooting at a mosque in San Diego in which five people were killed, including two teenage suspects.