what is your religion Indian man stabbed 15 times in US mall; attacker 'intends to kill Muslims'

A 48-year-old man has been arrested after stabbing a Muslim worker multiple times at a shopping center in Utah, US, with investigators saying he admitted targeting the victim because of her religion.

According to Reuters, police said the suspect told officers he “intended to kill Muslims” and described him as “a significant danger to the public if released based on his violent actions … ideologies and pre-planned mass accidents.”

The attack happened Monday at the Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City. Responders found the victim suffering from “multiple stab wounds throughout his body and bleeding profusely,” according to a police statement.

Witnesses managed to detain the suspect at the scene until the police arrived.

Victim stabbed after being asked about his religion

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

Investigators said Larsen admitted he “targeted the victim with the intent to kill her because of her religion (Muslim),” according to the booking affidavit.

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

Din said the victim turned to fetch water before the attacker allegedly started stabbing him.

The victim is in critical condition

The injured man was taken to hospital and remains in critical condition. A GoFundMe page created by a friend said he had been stabbed 15 times and required multiple surgeries.

The suspect was also treated in hospital after sustaining injuries when he was subdued by bystanders before being taken into custody.

Muslim rights groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), condemned the alleged attack.

Advocacy groups in the United States have warned of rising Islamophobia in the past two decades since the September 11, 2001 attacks. They have also linked recent hostility toward Muslims to anti-immigration policies, white supremacy and tensions stemming from Israel’s war in Gaza.

Recent deadly anti-Muslim attacks include the 2023 fatal stabbing of a six-year-old Muslim boy in Illinois. His killer was sentenced to 53 years in prison and later died in custody. In 2026, a shooting at a mosque in San Diego left five dead, including two juvenile suspects.