Utah man arrested after allegedly targeting Muslim kiosk worker in stabbing 

A man has been arrested in the western United States after allegedly stabbing a Muslim man multiple times inside a shopping mall, telling investigators he targeted the victim because of his religion and he “intends to kill Muslims”, according to court records.

Police said the attack, which took place on Monday at Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City in the state of Utah, appeared to have been motivated by religious hatred. In a court affidavit released on Tuesday, investigators said the suspect “targeted the victim because of the victim’s religion” and warned that he posed “a substantial danger to the public if released based on his violent actions, … ideologies and pre-planned mass casualty events”.

Officers responding to the scene found the victim suffering from multiple stab wounds and “bleeding profusely”, the affidavit said. Police said bystanders restrained the suspect until officers arrived.

The suspect, identified as 48-year-old Peter Michael Larsen, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and prohibited dangerous weapon conduct, according to jail records.

Investigators said Larsen admitted he had “targeted the victim with intent to kill him because of his religion (Muslim)”.

The victim, who worked at a kiosk in the mall, was approached by the suspect, who asked his name, inquired about his religion and requested a bottle of water, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, which quoted Imam Shuaib Din of the Utah Islamic Center, who has been in contact with the victim’s family.

As the victim turned to retrieve the water, the suspect allegedly began stabbing him, Din said.

The victim was taken to hospital in critical condition. A GoFundMe campaign organised by a friend said he had been stabbed 15 times and required multiple surgeries.

The suspect was also treated in hospital for injuries sustained after bystanders subdued him before he was taken into custody.

Muslim advocacy groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, condemned the attack.

Civil rights advocates have long warned of rising anti-Muslim sentiment in the US, citing discrimination and violence that intensified after the September 11, 2001, attacks and has been fuelled more recently by anti-immigration rhetoric, white supremacism and tensions surrounding Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Recent deadly attacks targeting Muslims include the fatal stabbing of a six-year-old Palestinian American boy in Illinois in 2023. In 2026, a gunman opened fire at a mosque in San Diego, California, killing five people.