Peter Michael Larsen, 48, stabbed a Muslim man multiple times at Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah, on July 13. Larsen targeted the man because of his religion, according to police reports and court documents released July 15 [1, 2, 3, 4].

The victim, Syed Sohailuddin, an Indian man working at a mall kiosk, was stabbed about 15 times and required several surgeries. He was hospitalized in critical condition after the attack [1, 2, 3, 4].

Larsen approached the kiosk, asked Sohailuddin about his name and religion, and requested a bottle of water. As the victim turned to get it, Larsen stabbed him repeatedly [1, 2, 3].

Bystanders intervened, pinning Larsen to the ground until police arrived. Larsen sustained injuries during the subduing and was taken to the hospital before being booked on suspicion of attempted murder and prohibited weapon conduct at Salt Lake County Jail [1, 2, 3, 4].

Larsen told police he targeted the victim because he is Muslim and expressed an intent to kill Muslims broadly. Police warned he posed a substantial danger to the public due to his violent acts and plans for mass casualty events [1, 2, 3, 4]. Larsen has a prior violent history including a 2022 incident involving arson and threats to firefighters; he was released from prison in January 2025 [3].

Muslim advocacy groups publicly condemned the attack, pointing to rising Islamophobia. Imam Shuaib Din said, "On the surface, it seems like it's against one individual, but it's not that one person who is a victim. The whole entire community is a victim because now they all feel unsafe." [3]

Luna Nunez, a friend of the victim, described the scene: "I was throwing anything I could, shoes, a chair, anything. He was stabbing him so vicious. I was scared for his life." [3] Adnan Mohammed, the victim's manager, said, "Always smiling, laughing, working very hard. When you kill a human, you're not just killing one guy. You're killing a whole family. There's heroes, who saved his life, who still exist. Humanity still exists." [3]

The Indian Consulate General in San Francisco expressed sadness over the attack and is in contact with the victim's family to offer consular assistance [4].

Larsen’s case remains active under investigation, with authorities warning of his extremist intentions and violent potential [1, 2, 3, 4].