*Photo: Sohail*
Peter Michael Larsen, a 48-year-old man, was arrested and charged with attempted murder after stabbing a Muslim kiosk worker over 15 times inside the Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah, United States.
According to police affidavits, the suspect explicitly told investigators that he targeted the victim because of his religion and stated that he “intends to kill Muslims.”
On Monday, July 13, 2026, Larsen approached the 37-year-old victim, identified by friends and colleagues as Sohail, an Indian Muslim man working at a mall kiosk.
Witnesses stated that Larsen asked Sohail where he was from, his name, and if he was Muslim. He then requested a bottle of water.
As Sohail turned around to retrieve the water, Larsen pulled out a knife and began stabbing him repeatedly.
Several mall shoppers and nearby workers immediately intervened, tackling Larsen to the ground, disarming him, and pinning him down until law enforcement arrived.
Sohail was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and has undergone multiple surgeries for severe wounds to his hands, heart, and lungs. He is a husband, father of two, and the sole breadwinner for his family. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by his colleagues to assist with medical bills.
The assailant, Larsen was hospitalized briefly for injuries sustained while being subdued by bystanders. He was subsequently booked into the Salt Lake County Jail and is being held without bail. He faces charges of attempted murder and prohibited dangerous weapon conduct.
In court documents, West Valley City police designated Larsen as a substantial ongoing threat to the public, noting that his records and interviews indicated an allegiance to extremist ideologies and “pre-planned mass casualty events” targeting Muslims.
Civil rights organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Utah Muslim Civic League, strongly condemned the attack. They highlighted it as a severe manifestation of rising Islamophobia and anti-Muslim rhetoric across the United States.
–Agency Reports