Muslim man stabbed multiple times in Utah over his religion, police say | Utah
A Utah man was arrested for stabbing a Muslim man multiple times and said he targeted the victim because of his religion, police said in court records Tuesday.
Police said the suspect told them he “intends to kill Muslims” and “will pose a significant danger to the public if released due to his violent actions, ideology and pre-planned mass casualty events.”
The incident occurred Monday at the Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah. Police said in an affidavit that the male victim “had multiple stab wounds on his body and was bleeding profusely.”
Authorities said the suspect was pinned to the ground by bystanders before police arrived at the scene.
The suspect, Peter Michael Larsen, 48, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of attempted murder and prohibited use of a dangerous weapon, jail records showed Tuesday. The victim was a Muslim kiosk worker.
The suspect said that he “targeted the victim with the intention of killing him because of his religion.” [Muslim]According to the police booking affidavit.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune report, based on comments by Imam Shuaib Din, who heads the Islamic Center of Utah and is in contact with the victim’s family, the suspect approached the Muslim man, asked his name, asked about his religion and stated that he wanted a bottle of water.
When the victim turned to get water, the attacker began stabbing him, according to Din.
The victim was taken to hospital and was in critical condition. A friend started a GoFundMe page for him, saying the Muslim man had been stabbed 15 times and needed surgery. The attacker was subdued by bystanders before being sent to the Salt Lake County Jail, and was hospitalized for his injuries.
Muslim rights groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, condemned the incident. U.S. human rights advocates note that Islamophobia has increased over the past two decades following the September 11, 2001 attacks and more recently “due to anti-immigration policies, white supremacy, and the fallout from Israel’s war in Gaza.” Deadly violent attacks in recent years include the 2023 stabbing in Illinois of a six-year-old Muslim boy who died in custody, whose killer was sentenced to 53 years in prison, and the 2026 stabbing at a San Diego mosque It includes an armed attack that resulted in the death of five people, including two young suspects.
