Indian-origin man stabbed at US mall in suspected anti-Muslim hate crime

New Delhi: Syed Sohailuddin, an Indian-origin Muslim man, was stabbed 15 times at a Utah mall in what appears to be a hate crime. Peter Michael Larsen, 48, allegedly stabbed Sohailuddin at the Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah, on Tuesday. Sohailuddin worked at a kiosk inside the mall, authorities said.

Larsen reportedly asked the victim his name, where he was from and whether he was Muslim, before pulling out a knife as Sohailuddin turned to get him water. According to reports citing the police affidavit, Larsen admitted he targeted the victim because he was Muslim and told investigators he “intends to kill Muslims”. Police are treating the attack as a possible hate crime alongside attempted murder.

Sohailuddin underwent multiple surgeries and remained in critical condition after the attack. Before police could arrive, mall customers and staff rushed Larsen, tackled him and disarmed him, an intervention authorities said likely saved his life.

Court records show Larsen had a history of violent convictions. In 2022, he allegedly pointed a shotgun at police officers, and in a separate incident, pointed a firearm at a security guard outside a nightclub. Despite this history, Larsen was released on parole in January 2025, a decision now facing scrutiny in the wake of the attack.

Larsen has been booked into Salt Lake County Jail on charges including attempted murder. Prosecutors are seeking to deny him bail, citing his violent history.

Imam Shuaib Din of the Utah Islamic Centre called it the worst attack on the state’s Muslim community in its history, and the Council on American-Islamic relations condemned the incident, calling for a thorough investigation.